Dark Atlas
by Zeemz
Summary: Discovering he couldn't use chakra was the worst feeling Naruto had ever experienced. Weaker by definition, can he still hope to become Hokage? A displaced Silvers Rayleigh answers by imparting upon the Shinobi the knowledge and power of his world. However, the abilities of a strange world are dangerous to the balance of power, threatening Naruto intimately.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or One Piece

Chapter 1

* * *

"Shakky, pleeease. One morrree and I'll leeave," slurred Rayleigh. His clothing stunk of rum, the offending smell irking even the experienced bartender.

Sighing she brought a hand to the Dark King's cheek, "Honey, that's enough. Anymore and I'll really start worrying." A hiccup later and he tried to use a look on her. Shaking her head she pointed to the door, knowing he'd handle any trouble on his journey.

Lighting a cigarette she blew smoke up as she waited to see what he would do. Unfortunately, pirates drank for more than just getting into the proper social mood. It tore their attention away from the fleas, the rotten food, the fragile mortality for a pirate sailing amongst monsters, human and not. Many days she drank herself to blackedout dusks just to get away for awhile But she awoke, hungover as any bastard could be, always.

Nowadays she served drink, talking with those who desperately hid their sorrows behind the lip of a glass. It was probably her way of coping. And pirates coped. Her husband Rayleigh usually told rambling tales of a black haired teenager, eyes shining with an unholy light of ambition. How together they sailed the seas through towering waves and the shadows of battalions during dawn. As drunk as he was he never mentioned names. Perhaps it was less about the risk of bad attention and more that to the infamous pirate, names and reputations never mattered. A swaying deck and his captain at the helm, maybe a fluttering of laughing from the crew. Paradise.

Leaning her head on her palm, she watched as Rayleigh grumbled but smiled and ambled off his stool. He mouthed a goodbye kiss and left. She could almost swear that she heard the sound of a crew laughing as the door swung closed. A chuckle escaped her. It did sound like heaven.

* * *

The silver haired pirate ambled his way to the coast, making his way without much trouble despite the pitch black of night. He hoped he'd sober up on his swim to Punk Hazard. Rumours of the island being a haven for Marine experiments reached him after the Akainu and Kuzan bout and he hoped he could satisfy his curiosity. Though he couldn't alert the Marines too much, hence his covert swim. Luffy should also be reaching there soon if he calculated it right. A small reunion would do both of them some good.

Rumbling and flashes of lightning erupted above him in the sky. A powerful storm from the smell of it. Ignoring it he walked up onto the wooden docks, the place shut down tight on account of the recent troubles with the Straw Hats. Taking his shirt and shoes off he placed them into a bag tied to his ankle.

"That should do it. Bye Shakky," whispered the Dark King. A powerful concussive wave blew outwards from the docks as a shadowed shape flew through the air and into water. It quickly disappeared into the depths before reappearing meters away, its form moving quickly.

...

The storm had been stranger than usual, and that was saying something considering new world weather. It had been simple scaling the Red Line to enter the New World, but the storm he first saw at Sabaody had apparently followed him. Constant rain and thunder met him at the end of each swim stroke. Curious if this was the work of a devil fruit he expanded his senses with Haki. A few sea monsters littered the depths here and there but nothing human. Grumbling he wondered if moving underwater would lose the storm.

Pausing for a few seconds he dove. Diving deep below the surface he flew down onto the sandy floor. A large swath of bubbles trailed after him, keeping up with the immediate displacement of mass. Placing his hands on the floor, he took a position akin to a runner, his legs bent to explode forward.

Moments later a man had begun to sprint across the sea floor.

'Should have done this earlier,' Rayleigh thought as he smiled. Almost as if his words were cursed the moonlit water above echoed with a deep roar. Glancing up, he nearly swallowed water in shock. A black cloud hovered over him, its shape stretching as far as the eye can see _in_ the water. A frown finally came to his face as he watched the arcs of lightning shoot out from the billows around the cloud.

'Enough of this,' decided the pirate. Jumping up the silver hair of the man glinted in the murky sea as he flew to meet the cloud, his hand reaching behind him to pull out his sword. With a swing of his arm a flying wave of force spiralled into the cloud, imploding it instantly. Lightning erupted out as if a leak had occurred and light encompassed the entire sea, pushing Rayleigh back in surprise.

Blinking the spots from his eyes he looked up to see nothing but dust. Smiling he swam towards the surface, glad the storm was gone, though still confused at the apparently sentient cloud. Emerging from the water he was surprised to see that it had become morning. Not very odd by New World standards but something did give him pause.

The horizon looked normal and the waves seemed to shift normally. Yet… he could hear seagulls. Punk Hazard had been an entire day of swimming away. Seagulls usually tended to the coast and especially so in this sea. To hear them now could only mean land was closeby.

'Strange. I've not heard of an island so close north of the Red Line. Perhaps I should check it out.' Swimming out he followed the calls of the birds, weaving easily through the water.

Land appeared an hour later. The bustle of folk working and bartering drifted into his ears. Smiling he sped up, hoping to make it to land soon. A good beer or two and a story from this unknown island would be enough for him.

The town had the look of crime. Men with swords seemed to litter the storefront and merchants, harassing them for protection money most likely. Though he'd love to step in, doing so recklessly could make matters worse. Sighing he walked down the dirt road in the direction of the town square. He hoped some questions could be answered.

A construction crew worked across the square, apparently building a new house. Older men strangely made up the crew. Not something you'd normally see unless there was trouble. Merchant stands crowded the center, filling his sight with dozens of people and stealing his attention as they slowly stilled at his entrance.

He was a sight of oddity, clearly. The tied up silver hair and his built body alongside a sword attracted too much attention. He was tall by these people's standards, standing at six feet and some. Though the lack of youthful men working alongside the aged construction force may have emphasized that impression.

"Look! Strange huh? Didn't even see him come by boat. Wonder where he came from?"

"He's from the Land of Lightning, I guarantee ya'. They grow em' big up there."

"Silver hair close 'nough to white hair I'd say. Sword fits too. What's this old sparky doing here?"

"Wonder what the boss'd think about this. You think them ninja up there got a hit on him?"

Whispers and talk quickly spread. Rayleigh didn't expect this much of an impression, though he had to wonder at what the rough looking man meant by Land of Lightning and ninja... The island couldn't be too big or more would be known, and the name didn't ring any bells. But ninja he had heard of before, making it all the stranger. It couldn't be that he somehow landed upon the shores of Wano...

'Oh seas. You continue to surprise me with adventures well past my prime,' a wistful Rayleigh pondered.

Walking towards a stand he looked at the items. An array of close to rotten fish and jerky made from something strange, going by the smell.

"W-welcome sir! Please, we just caught these and the meat was made only a few days ago," the small girl looked too thin as she pitched him the food. His eyes drifted down to her jar, coins of unknown make barely covering the bottom. Even stranger. Nearly all islands use beri as ordained by the World Government. For there to be a local currency lends credence to the isolation of these people. Paying her would be a problem if they didn't expect beri.

Smiling and unconsciously rubbing the back of his head he laughed, "Sorry, little miss. I seem to have misplaced my wallet."

A breath of relief was released from everybody listening in, immediately washing away the tension of his appearance.

"He's just some silly old guy."

"Can't believe we thought him a ninja. They'd be a bit more serious ya' think."

The little merchant scowled before shaking her head. Getting the message Rayleigh ambled away, the laughing smile on his face not fading.

Stopping near the construction workers he saw one older man taking a water break.

With attention off of him this shouldn't be too difficult.

"Working hard?" The question was light hearted, aimed at putting the old man at ease.

"Aye. Bones too brittle for it, but me family's got to eat. Rao," shaking the grizzled and tanned worker's hand, Rayleigh couldn't help but feel for him.

"Rayleigh. That's unfortunate to hear Rao. No sons or younger men to help?" The Dark King had begun to take off his cloak, rolling it up and stuffing into his pack. His sandals clipped the ground as he approached Rao's workstation.

Seeing what Rayleigh was doing, the man gave a thankful nod, "Many thanks. Jus' put the stacks over yonder. As fer the able men… well, let's jus' say they've been hired fer a job you can't say no to." Rao's words were hesitant and vague enough to imply a fear of others listening in. Nodding Rayleigh easily hefted the stack of wooden planks, carrying it over his shoulder and to the base of the house being constructed.

Ignoring the looks of the other men, Rayleigh went to gather the rest.

"Amazin'. Never seen a man yer age do it so easy like. You a ninja or somethin?" Rao's words trailed off, hoping he didn't say anything stupid.

"Or something. Ninja, huh. Are there many ninja around these parts?" The pirate side eyed Rao as he hefted another stack.

Laughing, the old man waved his hand, "Ninja don't much come here in the Waves. We're too poor to hire em'! Mainland's where you'd get more luck."

Strange and stranger. A mainland? Was this island so large that it had a country attached to it? And the ninja here were apparently hired like mercenaries or bounty hunters. The World Government doing the hiring maybe?

Patting his hands together to clear the dust and dirt, Rayleigh casually mentioned, "The World Government would probably be the one feeding them with their resources."

Rayleigh almost flinched when a flabbergasted expression came across Rao.

"World Government!? What do ya' mean? God help us if them five great ninja nations came together withou' some extra bloody war," Rao nearly trembled at the thought.

They haven't heard of the World Government? Five nations? To think that in isolation there could exist multiple governments outside of Marine control. And for five to exist separately, the lands would have to expansive. Such a bold statement would light the concept of a World Government on fire, threatening the balance of powers.

'Where have I found myself,' the pirate mulled over in his slowly darkening thoughts.

That storm, perhaps it had done something. Something that even he didn't notice. He would have to shelf Punk Hazard for now. This… place was too curious for him to leave alone. Hopefully Shakky doesn't worry.

"Ahaha. Just a joke my friend. A bad one I might add. Though I must be leaving. Could you point me in the direction of the mainland?" Hoping the laughter would put the man at ease, he was rewarded as Rao laughed along and pointed west.

"Twas' nice chattin' with you. Take care now, gettin' off this island is harder than comin' in these days."

Nodding in understanding, Rayleigh waved as he took off.

* * *

"Psst, look. That's him. You hear about the freak not having the ability to use ninjutsu? Turns out him failing so much was cuz' he ain't stupid, he's defective!" The howls of laughter reached his ears perfectly, as if they knew it would be the best time to make the comment when he approached.

The 10 year-old Naruto had always been optimistic. That despite the looks and his worse than dirt reputation he'd somehow become Hokage through sheer force of will. But walking down this dirt road, villagers laughing as he passed and pointing in some cruel enjoyment of his trouble, the dreaded words kept cycling in his mind.

 _I apologize Hokage-sama. His chakra system is so damaged that even Master Tsunade couldn't repair it. It's impossible. We didn't catch it after the… incident but it looks like the other chakra slowly warped it under our noses._

Old man Hokage yelled a lot after that, his face harsh and angry at the medical staff, but he heard none of it. Damaged, impossible. The Hokage had sat him down after that, looking into his eyes with such a deep pity that his doubts fell to pieces.

Ninja are powerful. They can move faster than any normal person. And they can hit even harder. Ninjutsu is their bread and butter, but taijutsu and ninjutsu worked too. Yet it all needed a chakra system. It all needed the energy coursing through your body so that a three meter drop wouldn't sprain an ankle.

"No wonder I got hurt so often," the bitter words escaping him like acid.

Kicking a stone he walked aimlessly, his feet probably thinking better than his mess of a brain.

 _But what about that boy, Rock Lee, sir._

 _The medical director looked at his assistant before sighing in exasperation. Please don't raise our patient's hopes, Yashi. Rock Lee still needs his chakra system and tenketsu to reinforce his muscles. Without them he'd die from his training alone._

Closing his eyes Naruto shook his head to rid himself of the scene. The way such fleeting hope burnt out was torture. He should have whalloped that piece of shit assistant.

Opening his eyes he saw the village. Even his feet knew to take him up here, atop the monument of the Leaf. Where he could see what he'll one day be responsible for. To remind him what exactly was at stake here. But how can he? How can anyone defy reality if it throws them in the deepest hole? So deep you could barely make out the people you were supposed to surpass.

He collapsed more than laid down atop the hill cresting the four Hokage heads. His eyes slowly swiveled over each face, easily pulling up images of badass fights and ninjutsu. Each one was powerful with a different set of skills. But they all had chakra. What's a ninja without one?

Tears had started to come out. And then it wasn't long before he sobbed his heart out, for the first time in years praying for something to fix this.

"Please…"

A lone shinobi with grey hair flickered next to the boy, exhausted and asleep from a horrible day.

"Don't worry Naruto. You're too tough to let this get to you. I know you are," the words felt more as if they were convincing himself than the boy, but ignoring that he gently picked Naruto up. At the very least this sleep would let him forget. Body flickering away he took Naruto home before returning to his own.

* * *

 _2 months later_

Naruto slouched forward as Iruka droned on about the 4th treaty of Spring or something. Steadily ignoring the snickers around him as he had done for weeks, he flipped his pencil around and copied it word for word.

"Maybe they should write a new treaty explaining how a certain ninja should be left alone when doing missions, can't have him dying so fast," Kiba nearly exploded in laughter at his own joke. Apparently funny as half of the class did the same.

The sting of the jokes faded faster everyday. Yet it still stung. Staying at the ninja academy had been a decision left up to him. The Hokage explained that he should at the very least finish the lessons, but he wouldn't force him to stay. He also said that being so knowledgeable about ninja would give him better job prospects. Whatever that meant.

He wasn't a quitter and despite the hopeless situation he hadn't completely given up the idea of being a ninja. No one had to know just yet, but he was looking. Researching ways of leveling the playing field and beating ninjas in a fight. But he needed time and ideas, and that's where class came in. History had to have one guy who fought ninja without chakra. One hint and he could run with it, but so far it's been weeks of annoying jokes and boring treaties.

"Well look at the time! Please hand in your assignments to Mizuki and remember to study up on which jutsu signs the Samurai use in combat situations. A quiz will be on it tomorrow," spoke Iruka, interrupting dozens of conversations in the classroom. Quickly packing his things he flew over to Mizuki and handed him a piece of paper before running off. Luckily after the news of problems came out, all the usual assholes like Mizuki had taken to ignoring him rather than make his life frustrating. He'd die of shock if it was pity, most likely they thought him already defeated. Well, they'll have to watch and see. Running he jumped out of a window on the first floor hall before sprinting home.

...

"Hmm, Samurai used folded chakra metal to harden their attacks. This, blah, blah… However, this is in great contrast to traditional Samurai who used their substantial technique and perception to cut with normal folded steel rather than the use of overpowering chakra enforcements!" The reading of the passage quickly captured his own attention. Holding his book tighter, he continued.

"Their technique and skill had been so impressive, that even powerful ninja fell to a disciplined samurai who scanned for the slightest of weaknesses to exploit. Despite eventually falling out of favor as newer samurai brought in more revenue and results, it had proved that skill can overcome pure power." Falling back against his bed, Naruto stared at the ceiling. It wasn't impossible. Close, but not enough for him.

"Now where am I going to find a swordmaster as a good as the samurai of old."

* * *

He could scarcely believe it, even two months later. This place had its own countries, governments, royalty, powers… Ninja dominated the lands using techniques as fantastical as devil fruits and Haki. These warriors lived in Hidden Villages, and similar to the balance of powers between the Yonkou, the society here was balanced precariously between five ninja villages.

Terms like World Government and Red Line were met with empty gazes every single time, an unfamiliarity that could not be faked. From the account of a retired fisherman the countries stretched across the Elemental Nations, what they called their continent, at distances similar to the Red Line. For this land to go unnoticed throughout all of history, and for _his_ land to go unnoticed by these non primitive people implied too many unsettling things.

The first and most important being that something was done to him. He was brought here after that flash of light under the sea. It was the only time his awareness flickered into darkness. And following that train of thought, this attack, as what else could an unsolicited displacement be, led to him being transported to a world or lands so very strange to him.

'There can be no other explanation. Despite the wonder of the New World, cartographers knew geometry. Unless the seas could distort dimensions, the size of these lands would make it impossible to stay hidden. This land must be on another world. Poor Shakky...' the Dark King depressingly thought.

Adjusting his brown cloak, the silver haired pirate continued on his way down the dirt path. The scuff of wagon wheels followed closely behind him. Merchants in need of protection and him in need of coin had led him to quickly accept this job; a band of silk weavers off the coast of the Land of Waves looking to sell to the Hidden Leaf villagers.

Despite his awareness of the situation's uneasiness, he was still excited to see the village. As according to gossip it was the most powerful of the ninja villages. A cornerstone to what exactly the Elemental Nations were.

"So Rayleigh-san, how long have you been here in Fire Country? With you having to follow our directions to the Leaf and all," remarked the pregnant wife of Saizo, the merchant band's apparent veteran.

Eyes scrunching closed, Rayleigh laughed amicably, his hearty laughter carrying into the woods surrounding them.

"I didn't think it was so obvious! I am from a few borders up north, the Land of Lightning more specifically. It's been only two months since I came down here looking for business," his sword rattling as he patted it.

Nodding in satisfaction, the woman covered her mouth as she chuckled, "I guessed right then. Your features and height alongside that sword convinced us of your ability enough to hire you. Those Lightning swordsman are known even down here. Not that I want to see your skill in combat, heavens no! Peace is much preferred."

Rayleigh stilled, prompting his clients to do the same as the wagon grinded against the dirt.

"I am afraid, miss, that you spoke too soon. Come out from behind that tree, you three," Rayleigh spoke firmly, his voice scaring off a few birds too close for comfort.

In practiced motions the three men swiftly jumped in front of the entourage, immediately confronting the silver haired pirate.

Each of the men wore headbands, each in different places. Yet they all were marked with a scratch across a symbol that looked to be three curved lines. Purple and blue made up their clothing, clearly reinforced with visible chainmail and armor padding. The intensity of their presence felt at odds with their youthful faces.

"No! Just our luck to be caught against three bloody Mist missing... Rayleigh-san, please be careful!" Briefly noting the apparent name of the village where these ninja had come from, he wondered what exactly 'missing' meant. Narrowing his eyes at the scratches on the bands he concluded that they may be renegades from their original faction.

"Gentlemen. As you can see we are not some great entourage of riches. Please step away," Rayleigh did not bother to reach for his sword. Despite hearing many stories about the prowess of ninja and their inner 'chakra', his Observation Haki did not give him the impression that these three would be trouble.

"Oi Kenshi, did this old fart really just ask us to step away? I think I'll kill him first," the black haired one on the left sneered as he brandished his kunai.

Cackling, Kenshi, or the red haired man in the center, spit on the ground, "That's what I think about your peace. In this world it's shark eat smaller shark. And you sons of bitches decided to cheap out with some little fish, not even a ninja. No headband and no kunai. Though we did notice that nifty looking sword, might just take that."

The one on the right shifted his sword up, catching the glare of the sun. Rayleigh recognised the glint of a swordsman in the young man's eyes, hungry for a battle of blades.

"Can't wait to cut you all open and hear you squeal!" The menace twirled his blade towards the men and women behind Rayleigh, eliciting groans and cries of terror. The swordsman ninja wanted him serious and knew how to do it, the crazed gaze never leaving Rayleigh's eyes.

A frown came to the Dark King's face, more serious than he had been for the two months in this strange world.

"Enough," the word was unlike any the ninja had experienced. It eclipsed the narrow pupils of the silver haired man, pulsating out like nothing else existed around them. And then the weakness came. It etched into their skin, crawling up into their nostrils, like blood rushing too fast to be safe. They dropped their weapons and they looked up, their eyes stretching into the beyond as they thought, 'I am going to die.'

The choking flavor of vomit and saliva rose up within them, torturing them with the suffocating presence of a being greater than any they could hope to stand against.

Like puppets on a cut string, all three men instantly fell as the word finished echoing into the woods, the whites of their eyes showing and the foam at their mouths fizzling.

Rayleigh paused before speaking out, "Don't worry, they are not dead. I just used a special technique from my homeland to temporarily knock them unconscious."

Before he had even finished his explanation, cheers and laughter erupted behind him.

"Amazing!"

"Hahaha! I've never seen such a thing!"

"We sure got our money's worth. A guy who can knock out people with just a look! Can't wait to tell my ma."

The rapid firing of praises got even to Rayleigh as he rubbed the back of his head, "It was nothing! Please you're making me blush."

Two men stepped up to the knocked out missing ninja, "Rayleigh-sama, if we deliver these men to the Leaf you can be rewarded their bounties." At their sudden look of what appeared to be groveling, Rayleigh sighed.

"Please make sure you tie them adequately at the very least."

After a quick bow they both heaved the ninja towards the wagon, tying them up and leaving them in the back.

"Well, let's continue, we should be able to make it before dark," the pirate swept his cloak behind him as he walked ahead followed by his newly christened fans.

…

Rayleigh's eyes widened at the sight of the Hidden Leaf Village. The open enormous green gates already impressed him of the village's presence, but it was as his Haki reached out that he finally understood the power of ninja relative to his world.

'Many are powerful amongst the denizens of the village. But two shine radiantly amongst the rest.' He looked at his hand, watching it shake slightly. 'I am excited to test my will against them.'

"Rayleigh-sama? Is everything fine? We have to go present our papers to the guards, though I imagine since you're from a bit far away you'll have to register for one. Don't worry I'll help out!" The kind nature of Saizo tore his attention to him, allowing him to nod gratefully.

"Thank you. Nothing is wrong. I am just...excited to see the wonders of the Leaf."

It didn't take long for Rayleigh to be questioned by many men in armored green vests, the insignia of Leaf ninja shining on their bands.

"So you're from the Land of Lightning then? My uncle travels there. Which town?"

Rayleigh enjoying the searching questions laughed, "It's a small backroad town! There's barely a pub there, I wouldn't imagine you'd know it."

Scowling the guard with spiky black hair continued to press, "You were hired to protect these people, even defeated the three missing we took custody of earlier. Where's a person like you learn how to take down three chunin level ninja with a-" The guard looked down at his notebook before scowling even harder, "-with a look apparently."

"I learned many things training with the sword, as I have for the past dozens of years. My techniques sometimes lend to the flashy. As you can imagine an audience of merchants sometimes carry my praises too far," Rayleigh apologized earnestly.

Sliding from his position to a frustrated and tired stance, the guard sighed before nodding, "Crazy civilians. Well, I don't see any problem giving you a probationary permit. But this comes with the condition of being checked on, so don't do anything suspicious or it's my ass, got it?"

Without waiting for a reply, the papers with his face and name were stamped and handed to him.

"Your fans paid for your papers, so you can go ahead and enter. Enjoy," grumbled the guard.

Nodding cheerfully, Rayleigh finally met up with Saizo.

"Good to see everything was resolved. I am sorry the rest couldn't say goodbye but we were in a hurry to set up our stand. Please take this, your bounties included, and feel free to drop by, a discount's there with your name on it Rayleigh-sama," Saizo eagerly shook his hand before giving him a coin pouch filled with the currency of these lands, Ryo.

Waving the friendly merchant off, Rayleigh took off.

'Now let's see what these strong presences are.'

* * *

Naruto tried to ignore the incessant tapping of the clerk's foot as he browsed his collection of Katana. Clearly he wasn't welcome here and the combination of the staring and tapping was rapidly frustrating him.

"Are you done?" The curt voice of the clerk interrupted his thoughts.

"Nope," answered the orange wearing academy student, almost popping the 'p'.

A smile came to Naruto's face after hearing a small growl.

'Stupid, your attitude just convinced me to take my time.'

 _ **RING**_

Glancing back Naruto caught the door of Goro's equipment store swinging closed; a tall man wrapped in a brown cloak entering after the bell sounded.

Almost transforming, Goro nearly prostrated himself in front of the man, welcoming him to look around.

Scoffing, Naruto hurried down the aisle, not in the mood to see such a disgusting change in behavior.

"Oho, I am not much interested in swords. My beauty here has kept me alive for many years," the ninja in training caught the man patting a green pommel at the tail end of his words. Narrowing his eyes he saw the sharp edge of the sword poking out behind his cloak.

"That is no problem at all, sir! A beautiful sword needs a beautiful sheath. I'm sure you can find the perfect one here," the Clerk pointed in the direction behind Naruto.

Nodding the cloaked stranger walked swiftly behind Naruto, smiling as he passed. Almost involuntarily Naruto smiled back, causing him to widen his eyes at the friendly man.

'Silver hair and a scar over his eye. Looks like a master with a lot of experience. Could it be?'

Peering through the corner of his eyes as the older man browsed the shelf of sheaths, Naruto wondered how he could ease himself into a conversation.

"Rayleigh," the man apparently read his mind as he spoke directly to him when no one else was nearby.

"N-naruto," he almost cursed himself for stumbling over his freaking name.

A laugh was Rayleigh's response. Blushing Naruto looked down before asking him, getting it out of the way.

"You're a swordmaster?"

The silver haired man paused before taking off the hood of his cloak.

"I wouldn't say that. I have not taught anyone swordsmanship specifically. Though, not to toot my own horn, I am skilled in the art," Rayleigh boldly claimed. Yet unlike the mindless boasting his peers and he used to partake in, the firmness and resolve in the swordsman's eyes shined as brightly as the sun.

As if the fire spread to Naruto, his confidence, the spluttering pit of embers for two months now, rose into a raging bonfire.

Spinning to directly face the man, his gleaming blue eyes lasered onto Rayleigh's black ones.

"Then prove it. Teach me how to use a sword!" The boy's voice rang throughout the store, causing Goro to stumble and whip around to face them both.

"You brat! I'm so very sorry sir, a thousand apologies. We'll remove him right away!"

Both ignored the clerk as they stared each other down.

'This was one of the two presences I sensed. I had thought my Haki had dulled when I met a child but there may be an inkling to it. His eyes remind me of Luffy's… and _him_ ,' the Dark King couldn't help but smile as he pointed to the door.

"Let's talk outside, looks like we're causing trouble," the man took off, hearing the hurried footsteps of Naruto take after him.

"Wait! Sir! Ah damn it all," the clerk growled as he heard the bell at his door ring and his potential business leave.

* * *

The boy looked skinny and short, a contrast to his fiery attitude. His yellow hair spiked up in tufts not unlike a porcupine. Orange jacket and pants aside, he had a lot of potential.

Both Rayleigh and Naruto sat at a table of a local BBQ place. As both waited for their food, Rayleigh began to think.

Did he have time? Could he really train a student in this strange land whilst also looking for a way back? And that was discounting the fact that these people had innate energies like chakra that changed how they fought with swords. Haki could reinforce objects, it was not out of the question that chakra did something similar.

'And from what Naruto just told me, he wanted training to become 'the greatest ninja,' a requisite of which was ninja techniques…'

Sighing, Rayleigh knew that at least a free meal should make the boy more forgiving when he told him the bad news.

"And then I threw the balloon at that stupid Kiba! Not much of a ninja covered in blue paint!" Laughed the ten year old.

"Naruto," almost instantly the boy paused as he could tell that Rayleigh had become serious for the first time since he met him.

"I would be willing to teach you the ways of the sword. But I am… inexperienced in the use of chakra. I am sorry, but with my guidance, most likely you would never reach your potential," Rayleigh hesitated only once as he delivered the news, hoping Naruto wouldn't take it too badly.

Laughter was not what he expected. Was the boy never serious afterall? But that fire from earlier could not be faked, surely.

"This is great! You're the perfect sensei! Can't use chakra by the way, forgot to mention that, hehe. Body's all messed up from something and my chakra system doesn't and will never work," the excited rambling slowly descended into a whisper, the undercurrent of pain so apparent that Rayleigh nearly reached a hand out to the boy's shoulder.

'Well, then. That greatly changes things. The boy clearly has gone through some trauma, physical and mental. On top of that there was something else I've noticed. He isn't well liked here,' the pirate narrowed his eyes at the waitress that still hadn't taken their orders in all their time here.

"Miss! Yes, you. We have a bunch of hungry stomachs here and we've been waiting long," embarrassed as everyone stared at her the waitress took their orders, shuddering as Rayleigh's narrowed eyes barely left her gaze. Eyes of a warrior from her experience serving ninja were not easy to mistaken.

Laughing, Rayleigh watched as Naruto cheered him on.

"Now that's dealt with, why don't we continue? As long as you understand I cannot teach you chakra, I would be glad to impart my knowledge," the silver haired man did not want to press him about his personal situation, afraid that it would put a damper on the now cheerful Naruto's mood.

Another cheer rang across the restaurant as Naruto excitedly agreed to Rayleigh's terms.

* * *

"Hokage-sama, the man is still with Uzumaki. They're currently occupying a field north of Training Ground 2 that the boy usually uses for training. On the matter of their conversations, it is apparent that this stranger, Silvers Rayleigh, fully plans on training Uzumaki to use a sword. Personality analysis has revealed that Rayleigh is kind and emphatic, yet also clever. No underlying fear of Bijuu, rather there may have been a slight confusion at some behavior citizens have showed Uzumaki, implying a lack of knowledge regarding the Jinchuriki. The boy's personality matrix currently reflects what it did two months ago, before news of his chakra system was revealed," pausing the cat masked ANBU stepped back as one wearing the mouse mask began his report.

"It has been five hours since Rayleigh entered Leaf jurisdiction. Our forces quickly raised threat levels of the man from a D to a B after he made direct contact with Uzumaki one hour post-entrance. Interrogation has given us an update on the two rogue Mist ninja brought in earlier by him. Both have regained consciousness, yet the third is unchanged," and lastly the boar masked ninja stepped up as the other stepped back.

"Prediction, he will awake an hour from now. Initial interrogations on the ninja present us with the possibility that this man, whom our sensors have since reported the lack of any conceivable chakra signature, put them into a state of unconsciousness with a word and stare. The silk caravan witness reports agree with this scenario. Yamanaka-sama confirms this through memory recovery and also posits that it was a technique using no chakra as it did not emit a chakra signature, subconsciously or consciously to its victims. Accounting for the amount of unknowns behind this swordsman as well as the interest in Uzumaki, threat level should be raised to A rank."

Silence met the end of the reports as the Hokage rubbed his forehead. Not much information-wise has changed his first thought to confront the man. Spies in the Land of Lightning could not confirm his existence, nor could they trace the 'Rayleigh' family name. Only historical evidence of the name had been near the Land of Waves and south of the country. But that only went back two months...

What were the chances that a man without chakra who utilized powerful techniques could happen to meet the one person that needed him most to stay a ninja?

Coincidences were nonsense in this world. But for there to be an intentional manipulation here, then it was too apparent. Too stupid. Too flimsy.

'Even the Raikage isn't brash enough to send such a character here. One who would approach a target an hour into his mission,' thought a frustrated Sarutobi.

And it couldn't be a double bluff play. All simulations and tests point to the best possible way to carry out a covert operation is never to intentionally bring attention to it for even more covert operations.

"Unless the Raikage ignores this basic intelligence then this Lightning citizen is not a ninja under his employ," the Hokage spoke his last thoughts aloud.

All three ANBU nodded, following the line of silent thoughts and agreeing instantly.

"And with respect to the worthlessness of body language readings in these type of scenarios, the personality ones, much more reliable with ninja, show that he does not have the matrix for a covert ninja. I'd conclude with 85% accuracy that he is not a spy nor is he after Naruto specifically for the Bijuu. Rather he went after Naruto for some other reason. This most likely being a result of sensory information. In a roundabout way, he found something interesting, a Jinchuriki, and approached it without knowing. This improves it from an unlikely coincidence to a likely one. Threat level B," grunted Hiruzen as he lit his pipe with a burst of fire chakra, blowing smoke up.

"Initial reports from the south says this man felt out of place, asking strange, childish questions about the land and ninja. This in combination with no chakra means this man is not a ninja, 95% confidence. Threat level D. Yet he is a non-ninja with a technique to keep three chunin unconscious for hours with a stare, threat level A. And… with more thorough reports from the Land of Waves and near it, a Yamanaka has identified that this Rayleigh mentioned something strange multiple times. Barring distorted memories by time, the Yamanaka reports that Rayleigh mentioned a 'World Government,' in complete seriousness and without irony every single time. Threat level S," the last comment had all three ANBU flinching, unaware of the report and finally understanding the seriousness of the situation.

"This Rayleigh is strange, too strange. There have been many events where techniques without chakra act in similar ways to ninjutsu. But a 'World Government' in this context gives credence to a technique beyond our scope. Strange questions about land and ninja indeed. When Naruto returns home safely, detain Silvers Rayleigh. Notify Hatake Kakashi, Maito Gai, Sarutobi Asuma, and Kurenai Yuhi," on that final word, Sarutobi Hiruzen, the third and wisest Hokage, pulled off his Hokage robes and brandished his staff, ready for combat.

Nodding the three ANBU flickered away.

* * *

Author's Note:

This is a new story which shouldn't affect Close My Eyes. Naruto the character's role right now seems to be sharing the spotlight with Rayleigh, but he will soon take over and be the primary character. The premise behind this is a generic transport fic, but I wanted to make this a bit more realistic in terms of reactions and physical limitations (you'll see soon). Anyways, enjoy the story!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or One Piece

Chapter 2

* * *

Rayleigh was impressed at Naruto's resourcefulness. He couldn't imagine a boy attempting to undermine his nation's forces with jokes and pranks, let alone actually succeeding.

"And then I left them behind to clean up the mess! You'd be surprised at how long it takes to put all the Inuzuka dogs back in their kennels," Naruto grinned as he scratched the back of his head, apparently proud of his brilliant scheme.

Rubbing his beard, the Dark King looked around for a few seconds, his eyes stretching across the field Naruto had brought them to. This prompted Naruto to stop and watch him.

"Er, sensei? What are you looking for?" Answering the boy's question, Rayleigh pointed at a tree near the end of the field.

"Over there, Naruto. Go ahead and find a nice stick, sturdy enough and at least an arm and half long," his first command as the ninja-to-be's teacher was responded to instantly as Naruto took off in the direction he pointed at.

As Naruto focused on his task, the pirate focused on him with Observation Haki. It was difficult, even for him, to capture the sole presence of Naruto so close to the much stronger, separate presence.

'A lit match in the light of a bonfire,' thought the man, frowning as he wondered what exactly could be causing such a thing.

It was as if the boy was possessed. Controlling his first instinct to ask Naruto about it, he began to feel out for the boy's power, ignoring the other.

Immediately, he was met with the true extent of Naruto. A powerful will and a near unstoppable drive for his dream, only waiting to become unleashed upon his foes.

'Frightening if taken alone, but look at his actual power and…'

His new student was weak. And not in a way that many start out as. Whether it be a cabin boy or new marine recruit, there was a level of power that consistently existed. Naruto was unnaturally below expectations compared to that level.

'I wouldn't be surprised if some of the civilians I met here were more powerful. Surely this was related to Naruto's chakra problems. Yet those in my own world, ones that have never had chakra, were still stronger. Maybe this energy was the only way for people here to stay even with the perception of normal I had from my own world,' surmised Rayleigh.

Shaking his head, he waited as Naruto came back, swinging his new stick back and forth. Rayleigh held his hand out for it and the academy student quickly handed it over. Taking a moment and nodding he handed it back to his student's confusion. Silently he took Naruto's hands and placed them on the stick, one hand lower than the other. To Naruto it felt as if his capabilities exploded in that moment, his hands feeling the comfort and range the stance brought to him.

"The key to becoming a good swordsman starts at the placement of your hands. Even without a real sword, you should be able to feel the surface of what you are using, feeling its weight and length. And with a quick adjustment, find the best possible method for your own body to harness this object in combat," the words came naturally as he pondered scenes of his youth, where the blade was his only companion. Many a night he took his sword and sat to think of the best possible way to becoming strong. Enough to achieve anything.

Naruto looked up at Rayleigh as his hands wielded the stick, unmoved from where his teacher placed them, hanging onto every word of the master of his craft.

"Haha. I'd even seen a swordless swordsman using misshapen furniture when caught in a pinch to defend himself. If there was ever an art to wielding furniture, he surely showed it as he swung and skillfully manipulated the weight and power at his hands. Understand, Naruto? Each instant you take up your weapon, your feelings must search the object and immediately find the best possible way of holding it," in response to Rayleigh's lecture, the boy hesitantly nodded his head.

With a quick grasp Rayleigh tore the stick from Naruto's hands, shocking him.

"What the hell sensei!?"

"Now that you've felt the perfect stance, you must feel it out again. Use everything at your disposal to find it," laughing at Naruto's pout, the Dark King handed it back. Walking a few feet from Naruto he sat down and looked away, clearly giving his student space.

"So I just have to find the best way to hold my weapon by feeling it out, huh? Well bring it on!" Immediately Naruto's eyes lasered onto the stick, his hands moving rapidly over it and trying to mimic where Rayleigh last placed them.

"What the hell? I could've sworn I held it like this before, but it doesn't feel right…" Scratching the back of his head Naruto focused on the stick again, intent on finding the best stance.

* * *

Many tries later, Naruto stewed in anger. There was no way he was going to ask for help on something as basic as this. There just had to be something to it if he tried hard enough.

'Looks like I can't just use my memory here. I have to go through the stuff sensei talked about. First feel it out, thinking of the weight and shape. And then think about my own body. And finally I'll get it!'

Feeling the weight of the stick, he thought it was pretty light all things considered. It was barely heavy enough for one hand, let alone two. So he'd need to angle his hands a bit lower since it should deal more damage without giving too much grip away for its weight.

Doing that, Naruto immediately felt an improvement in comfort and leverage. But it still wasn't right. His hands shifted back and forth, switching as one came up and the other went down. He still felt that if he fought with it, then he'd lose the stick if someone attacked.

'If I try to defend then this stance won't work. I'd feel too separated from it, not enough of a grip to really move the blade,' Naruto slowly thought. With a slight adjustment, his hands switched, the right above his left.

'With that I'm supporting the stance,' satisfied, Naruto swung the stick down, glad he could recreate the feeling.

"Very good, Naruto. It took you a few tries, but you finally understand the importance of your stance. Now with this you have a basic idea for two handed swords, fit for offense and defense. As you become more skilled you can begin switching your stances on the fly in response to offense or defense. You recognized a stance that was too heavily offensive earlier. Perhaps that stance could work more effectively if you switch to it for the sole purpose of offense. Lastly, a one handed style could also be used and requires many different adjustments compared to this one," just now realizing the amount of information given, his teacher caught himself, pausing and waiting for it to sink in.

Naruto was awed at the implications and potential he saw in stances. He could only imagine fiery battles as he cut through steel and created blades of wind. He was interrupted by the sound of laughter. His sensei was laughing at him.

"What?" He muttered.

"Haha, it's just that look reminds me so much of my previous student," his sensei continued laughing and it didn't take too long for Naruto to do the same. With Rayleigh-sensei his dream was one step closer.

...

"Now Naruto, seeing as how it's getting dark I think we'll end today's lesson here. We should meet again in two days at the same time and place we started, sound fine?" Rayleigh's question caught Naruto off guard, unused to the amount of say he had with his teachers.

'He's definitely more friendly than Iruka or Mizuki,' he reflected, though happy at the difference.

The silver haired man stood up, patting Naruto on his head.

"Oh and in the meantime, please take care of that stick. I'd like for you to meditate with it before going to sleep everyday," the words apparently flew in and out of Naruto's ears.

Scratching his chin Rayleigh paused before clarifying, "Hmm, just sit down in a comfortable position, your stick with you. Perhaps you should think of… a sword. One that is unbreakable and powerful. Each and everyday this sword should grow stronger in your imagination. It will make more sense down the line."

Naruto slowly nodded, taking his sensei's word for it. Patting his arm free from the dirt that gathered from holding the stick, he turned around, ready to eat some ramen.

"Oh and before I forget, Naruto. You do not have to answer, but what exactly is the problem with your chakra?" The personal question surprised Naruto, the sting of his problem still biting into the newly regained confidence.

Without turning around and in a smaller voice he explained, "As soon as I got word of my problem, I couldn't stop there. I read and read about chakra, hoping a mistake was made. But it was hopeless. My chakra pathway system is broken, like an extremely old person's. It can't mold my spiritual and physical energy into chakra."

He could feel his tightening hand cut into the chips of wood on the stick, on the verge of drawing blood.

"Without the constant chakra, I'm even weaker than normal people who still have chakra. It's useless," it didn't take long for his bitterness to fall apart, leaving only empty sadness.

Flinching, Naruto looked to his right, where a hand held his shoulder. His sensei's silver hair glinted as the moon had started to appear, the white light creating a glare on the man's glasses.

"I promise you Naruto, that I will find a way for you to become strong," Rayleigh shifted, showing burning eyes and the endless ambition there. Silently Naruto nodded his head, meeting his sensei's eyes. He then ran forward a few steps, pausing only once.

Trying to rub away at his suddenly itchy eyes, Naruto bellowed out a promise in return, "And I promise you that I'll become strong, stronger than any that came before me!" With that he took off, silently vowing that he wouldn't give up.

* * *

He watched his wayward student take off, clearly embarrassed to show his tears.

'A young boy should be able to cry freely. But this place would rather recruit them for war games. Still…' Unbidden, images of Shanks and Luffy came to mind.

'They were young too. Not entirely as young, but I trained them both, knowing the danger of the seas ahead,' reasoned a suddenly guilty Rayleigh. Yet there was little regret. A person was not a fixed number of living years. A person was their dream. And he could not standby and let those dreams, and consequently them, collapse into despair.

He could not let such a person down, not when they reminded him so much Roger.

'Can I help Naruto? These people, I sensed, do not have the ability to wield the Colors of Haki. Perhaps it's the fault of chakra... Could Naruto learn it then?' the line of thinking ended as he caught the bright sky.

The moon was luminescent tonight, a shining ball in a star filled sky. He did not recognize the star patterns, another confirmation he long had of this being a new world. A new world with new threats. He moved his eyes slightly to the right, glasses flashing.

As if he summoned them, eight appeared. The figures were shadowed in darkness before the encompassing moonlight revealed them beneath an errant cloud.

'I knew it would not take me long to meet the second powerful presence I felt earlier. Though, he's shorter than I expected,' observed Silvers Rayleigh.

The most powerful of them wore a black jumpsuit, green gauntlets protecting his arms and surely hiding weapons. His head was covered by an armored hood, the insignia of the leaf shining brightly.

The man's appearance reminded him of what ninja had worn on Wano. Though the aged face, spotted with wrinkles, liver spots, and a deadly serious expression did not conjure memories of the friendly ninja on his own world.

'Also a staff, black with golden trim. Interesting that I feel something from it...' His attention was drawn to the three masked ninja, each face covered with animal-styled porcelain. They had jumped apart, a formation of a triangle apparent, and consequently surrounded the entire group including him.

With a blur of fingers, each struck the ground, immediately alerting him of what could only be preparation for a technique. Looking closer he could see paper under their hands, a sliver of black lines unnaturally growing from it. Transparent purple walls exploded out from the ground, growing on the borders of the triangle, but also cutting the three ninja off.

Stopping his first instinct to escape, Rayleigh patiently waited as the pyramidic barrier finished forming. He was impressed at the scope of abilities these ninja had.

"I did not expect you to let our Anbu finish their tasks. Might you be so inexperienced against ninja that you would underestimate our techniques?" The oldest of the now smaller group spoke directly to him, his voice carrying across the hundred feet separating them easily. The authoritative tone absently reminding Rayleigh of marine formality.

Smiling, the Dark King stepped forward forcing all of the ninja to tense, a clear indication of how combat ready they were.

"I have not fought many ninja, but I also didn't feel threatened by the barrier. Before we begin, I have to ask, could this confrontation be solved with words? I am unsure of what crime I committed in your lovely village and it would be unfortunate to fight over some bout of miscommunication," Rayleigh hoped his words came off as genuine, but the unchanging look of the leader did not fill him with confidence.

"World Government. What does that term mean to you?" The Hokage's words thundered into Rayleigh's head, breaking his concentration for the first time.

Did they know? Were they aware of the World Government after all? Then this wasn't a new world, he had been mistaken, stupi-

Laughing suddenly, Rayleigh closed his eyes, his teeth gleaming in the light of the moon.

"Ninja are indeed masters of information. For you to question and track down the most mundane of conversations I've had and so quickly, it is truly impressive. And at the same time frightening. To answer your question, the World Government is merely a group seeking to bring together the great nations. I had it under the impression it would be known down here, but I was met with confusion every time. I am curious, however, why would so much effort go into checking one visitor in the thousands that visit the Leaf daily? Would Naruto have anything to do with that?" None of the ninja moved as Rayleigh spoke, his light tone never fading even in the face of learning about his extensive background check. Inside was a different a story.

'Frightening. I did not tailor my conversations on this world to hide everything, but I was careful. For them to know this much, and for them to attempt to use this knowledge to sway my concentration… Marine intelligence is poor in comparison to this man's strategy,' the silver-haired pirate finally recognized that this ninja was the famed 'Professor' and Third Hokage he had heard much about alongside Fire Country gossip.

Not reacting to the mention of Naruto the Hokage barked back, "People do not need to talk to tell us a story. But about your group to bring the strongest nations together, strange how even in your _homeland_ , there's scarcely any information. You have no chakra, but you have no difficulty defeating two chunin. How do you explain that?"

Rayleigh stopped smiling. These people were intent on detaining him. Already he could _hear_ the gears of combat swirling among those opposite him. But he could not let that happen, not when they purportedly have the ability to gain information in exotic ways. Too much dangerous and ancient knowledge was locked away.

"You ninja aren't much for cooperation, are you? And I'm afraid my abilities are my own, I'm sure you understand."

The Third narrowed his eyes before waving his hand, signaling the ninja at his side.

" _I'm_ afraid that I do," on the cusp of the words, flying metal rocketed into the air, spinning a dance of death on its trajectory for Rayleigh.

Leaning back the pirate evaded the first dozen steel stars, watching as each gleam of metal came to within inches of his eyes.

Shooting off the ground and towards the purple glow of the barrier, Rayleigh quickly glided past a rain of knives. The distance buffering him in the stark alert of danger from his Observation.

Seconds later, orange flames erupted from the weaponry, exploding outwards in a shriek of shrapnel.

'Clever use of explosives. Without my Haki I would have had to defend against that,' the thought barely processed before ashy smoke had begun to fill the air between the ninja and him, the dark cloud somehow being blown from within the one with the beard.

Hiding his confusion at such a technique, the Dark King paused as he became enveloped in the smoke, blinding him completely.

'No poison or I would have been alerted…'

Reflexively he spun, his cloak floating as he grabbed the knife striking at him from behind. In a show of strength he shattered the metal and using his other palm, counterattacked. His fingers smacked against mesh armor with a loud crunch, sending the ninja flying. The echo of the impact faded unnaturally as the body disappeared mid-air.

A teleport ability or some kind of apparition, then. Shaking his hand free of shrapnel he moved forward hoping that he could settle this before it got too serious.

An erratic shadow whispered at his periphery and his arm flew up, striking a palm against what felt like stone and breaking it apart. Even through the smoke he knew it was a ninja, the one with gray hair and a single eye visible. Ducking down he kicked up with a sweeping leg behind him, collapsing three of the same ninja inwards until they splattered into water.

The falling water instantly reformed into a wave, furiously rolling across the ground towards him. A crackling sound concussed across the field as beasts shaped from lightning appeared, guided by the end of a tendril. Their electric bodies flickered bright blue with energy, more apparent against the black ash surrounding them. He watched as they collided with the wave, electrifying it inches from his body.

An invisible shield of will blanketed around him just in time. Like water against a dam, the attack warped back entirely, deflecting towards the masked ninja. Eye wide, the man flipped away, dodging the sparking mass of water as it exploded against the ground. The man paused before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

Interesting. These people had the ability to clone themselves from water or stone, indicating a great deal of control of the elements. And they could cross large distances fairly quickly. Almost like a certain Marine power.

Nodding, he spoke out loud, "Your abilities are very diverse. Though you'll have to do better than that."

No sooner had he finished his words did a bubbling orange yellow explode from the smoke. The roaring conflagration spreading and shooting upwards in a fiery pillar. Everything that was once within was encompassed in the fire, burning even the grass to ash.

…

Gradually, the pillar collapsed as the younger Sarutobi cut off the burst of fire in his technique, watching as his jutsu's flames burned away.

All four ninja focused their senses, waiting for the residual smoke to clear.

"It is unlikely he survived that. I did not see him escape before the explosion," Kurenai pointed out, tightly holding the kunai in contrast to her words.

"It won't be that simple, that man's actions were very deliberate," praised Gai. The green beast had taken out his nunchaku, spinning them rapidly in preparation.

Nodding Kakashi held one hand, sparks running up and down it, "His defenses are different. He does not need to see to evade and… it looks like he can generate some type of invisible force. Get ready."

"Right you are," at the voice all of the Leaf ninja stilled.

Rayleigh emerged, the flames at his feet suffocating into non existence as he walked.

"I didn't think that ash would be so flammable, but it did give me a chance to learn a few things about you ninja," Rayleigh grasped his sword, pulling it forward with such speed that the wind snuffed out the rest of the flames behind him and leaving only charred ground.

'The most important being that my Armament Haki is strong enough to repel their attacks, in spite of the chakra. But curiosities aside, it's time I started making progress with these exceedingly aggressive ninja,' mused the pirate.

Rayleigh bent down slightly before shooting forward, his legs gliding and crossing the distance so quickly it looked like flight.

That man in green met him, dashing furiously as the ninja's legs shot up in a tremendous combination of kicks. He dodged to the left, moving away as the ninja launched one half of a weapon at his face, the chain and wooden pieces shaking haphazardly. Grunting, Rayleigh's sword swiped down, colliding with the man's feet and knocking them away. The ninja expertly hid his wince as he tucked his body forward, landing in a strange stance.

"Beautiful counter. The name's Maito Gai. Glorious Green Beast of the Leaf," the now named Gai struck a pose before curling one knee towards his stomach, the stance indicative of powerful kicks.

"Well then Gai-san, interesting fighting style there. Though you'll have to do better than that," Rayleigh pointed his sword at the ninja, the green pommel glinting in the moonlight.

Gai in response flew towards him, the ninja's knee tensing even more before kicking out with thunderous strength. Narrowing his eyes he watched as the sandaled foot struck the intercepting flat of his blade, pushing it back towards his body.

The nunchaku flew from his enemy's grasp, eating the already small distance as it crossed to his shoulder. Rayleigh ignored the explosive impact, his Armament steadily deflecting the blow's damage. Gai, unsurprised, kicked at him, catching his own sword in response. The blade flew up towards him again, coming dangerously close to flesh.

In a series of collisions, both men soared across the burnt grass beneath them. Each fist and foot and nunchaku acutely met with Rayleigh's sword, the impacts causing small tremors to form throughout the field.

"Amazing. My every attack is perfectly matched and I can't see any openings!" The Green Beast's smile and complimentary tone had the opposite effect on Rayleigh. The pirate frowned for the first time during the fight.

"Glad you enjoy the battle. But I think you and I know this isn't a game," the pirate stomped on the ground mid-collision, immediately halting his momentum. Gai, unprepared for such a rapid change in pace stumbled back.

With a flash of speed, the Dark King sliced his sword up, Gai could only force the nunchaku apart, barely catching the fatal part of the sword on the thin chain. Rayleigh's vision sharpened before he sent the pommel against the ninja's chin, connecting and sending a shock through Gai.

"Gai!"

"Bastard…"

"Damn it," the woman's voice murmured into the now silent field. Each ninja watched as one of their most powerful fell on his knees, his eyes unfocused and his neck exposed.

"Don't worry about him. I did not put nearly enough strength in that blow to permanently damage anything. Now, who's next?" Rayleigh's words were carefree, barely losing a breath in the fight against Gai.

The one with the grey hair and the one smelling of smoke appeared in a gust of wind before him.

"Sarutobi Asuma," grunted the smoker, his hands grasping an interesting pair of steel knuckle blades. A green glow had started to permeate them, the small sound of grinding accompanying it.

"Hatake Kakashi," Rayleigh had to hold in his surprise as the man's newly revealed eye focused on him. The swirling red and black was clearly an unnatural aspect and most likely was a type of ability.

Silence reigned for a few seconds before the two ninja started to use hand gestures, the blur of what he recognized to be hand seals ending at the same time. Bullets of fire and wind warped out from each ninja, the attacks conjoining before rapidly escalating mid-air.

Jumping up, the Dark King evaded the attack explosion, only to instinctively kick up before Asuma appeared in front of him, the green glow of his weapons so close as to tint his skin. The kick split the man in half, splattering the man into… pieces of wood?

Shaking his head, Rayleigh looked up as he approached the purple barrier ceiling. He didn't think the barrier would harm him, but better to be safe than sorry. A quick burst of Haki pushed off the barrier and forced him down, throwing him into a free fall.

Chirps of birds screamed into his ears as Kakashi rocketed towards him, a sharp streak of electricity licking off of the ninja's right hand. The man's pupils shifted constantly, reading so much of the scene that a near invisible red trailed the air behind the strange eye.

He coated his sword with Armament, feeling the invisible armor reinforce the blade. Time crawled as both stared at each other. Muscles twitched as both reactively changed strategies dozens of times in the breath of a moment. Narrowing his eyes the Dark King tore through the moment and clashed against the lightning blade, moving his sword at a forty degree angle against the ninja's clad wrist. Kakashi immediately staggered against the unexpected defense, fingers forced closed in pain and clearly taken off guard by his Observation Haki.

In an instant Hatake appeared behind Rayleigh, both men falling faster as gravity finally did its job.

Landing heavily with a loud crash Rayleigh turned around just as the silent Kakashi did. Both tensed as Asuma jumped next to his comrade.

"Kakashi, are you okay? I could barely make out what happened," Asuma's question elicited a frustrated sigh from the copycat.

"He's powerful, more than any of us first thought. My Sharingan read his defenses but he somehow negated it. And my hand," Asuma glanced down, eyes narrowing at the painful swelling he could see along the side.

"It's not broken, thankfully, but Raikiri is out of the question now," with that Kakashi used his other hand to sign a message to the woman ninja.

Rayleigh watched and listened, slightly impressed the man was able to weather that blow.

His eyes drifted to a spot as the woman appeared, her red eyes stark against her black hair and pale skin.

"I've tried multiple times Kakashi. The lack of flowing chakra stops me from affecting him with my genjutsu. But we can still do this," her hands blurred in a dozen hand seals before slamming against the grass below her.

"The name's Yuhi Kurenai," instantly Rayleigh felt paralysis take hold, a feeling of indomitable pressure surrounding him.

Looking down, black lines expanded out, encompassing a circle around his body. The trap must have been placed when he was in the air.

'How? I didn't _see_ that happening…' The Dark King's eyes shifted up and watched as the ninja relaxed.

"He has the ability to predict attacks based on intent. When he casually stayed within the potentially dangerous ash from Asuma's jutsu and when he realized Gai wasn't coming at him seriously, it was as if he understood the true nature of things. It was simple for me to layer my mind with a genjutsu to obscure what I truly wanted to do," the ninja flipped her kunai, the sharp edge glinting against the moonlight. She slammed it into the ground where a sealed tag hung off it. Rising up she glanced at Rayleigh before walking towards Asuma.

Smiling, Asuma nodded, "It almost felt like fighting Kakashi there, no one has reactions like that."

"It explains how my Sharingan couldn't work its way through his defense. How long will the trap last?" Kakashi's question was answered as the kunai in the ground started to shift.

"Shit. Let's go!" At Asuma's words all three swung, their kunai angling at Rayleigh and aiming to incapacitate.

The Dark King closed his eyes before opening them, releasing a wave of Conquering will. All three ninja felt a concussive force invade their mind, their senses blanketed with such overwhelming power that they stumbled. Their kunai slipped from their fingers, falling before being thrown.

Kurenai bit her tongue, but the genjutsu-like effect of the attack failed to fade, only suffocating her even more. She watched as she fell to one knee and the ground itself cracked, dislodging the sealing kunai and sending a wave of chakra backlash into her. The impact sent her flying, throwing her hard against the ground and into a deep sleep.

Kakashi blacked out for a second, barely able to keep hold on his consciousness. He wrenched himself up, not letting his body fall anymore than it already had. Sweat had gathered on his brow and he could only grind his teeth as Rayleigh was freed.

Asuma hesitantly stepped forward, but caught himself quickly. Clearly the ninja had dealt with the situation better than the others.

"Kurenai! Damn it! So this is what we were briefed about. Almost feels like someone forced the blood in my veins to my head," growled the ninja with the beard.

Rayleigh laughed before ambling towards them, "An interesting description."

The man blitzed forward, his pommel striking against an Asuma's barely prepared knuckle blades, pushing them apart. One hand reached forward and Asuma's eyes widened at the pure metal black sheen surrounding it. It smacked his other blade away, wind chakra and all, before smashing into his chest, blowing the air from his lungs.

He moved past the ninja, only glancing as Asuma fell down clutching at his chest.

"I see. You're just as dangerous as we feared. Though interestingly enough, you spared all of them," Rayleigh stared as the Hokage finally made his presence known, his voice echoing in the aftermath of the recent fight. The ninja had disappeared somewhere during the scuffle and he half expected some kind of interference.

'The man must have observed that I didn't attack with the intent to kill, trusting his analysis enough to leave his subordinates out to dry. And trusting them to have gleaned out a significant part of my capabilities,' concluded the pirate, a frown coming to his features as he spied the Hokage tightening his head gear, the dangling straps waving in a sudden wind.

"From the very beginning I meant no harm. I understand I am a stranger here, but I believe Naruto would do well under my tutelage, benefiting him and his friends," spoke Rayleigh, unspoken was the gain in military strength that Naruto could prove to become.

The Hokage spun his staff in response, the golden tip gleaming as he pointed it at the Dark King.

"Unknowns in military have always been a recipe for disaster. So, Silvers Rayleigh, show me who you are," and with that the Hokage warped forward, his jump carrying him half a field in an instant.

Rayleigh's eyes widened before he forced his body to the side, barely dodging the staff aimed at his neck. His sandals ground down against the dirt, throwing up dust as momentum carried him to the left. An explosive wave of wind reverberated out from where he was, forcing him to cover his eyes.

With a quick leap he pushed himself away, rapidly blinking eyes watching as the dust slowly dispersed.

The Hokage had vanished, leaving only a trench furrowed deep in the ground. His Observation Haki was not picking up the man's normal presence as it did before.

'So it's not just Kurenai who knows how to shield their intent from my senses with this genjutsu. Yet even if I can't predict their intentions I should still be able to tell where they are. Unless…' His sword sliced away the attack coming from behind him, cutting the steel stars into strips of metal.

"Clever. It seems you can use genjutsu to also mimic others rather than just hide your intentions. Clumsy of me not to notice two Kakashi," he tilted his head back as flying stars dove through the sky in front of him, anticipating their trajectories but blinking from the light of the moon.

'This trick agai-' Ten became ten thousand, warping from non existence, and Rayleigh hastily realized he could not evade.

The sheen of metallic black bubbled into being on his skin, covering every inch of his body and propagating onto his sword. Closing his eyes he heard more than felt the sharp whistle of wind, multiplied a thousand times over into an ultrasonic screech. Metal knives bounced off of Rayleigh before exploding into bursts of flame and shrapnel. So much so that heat had started to build up, melting the very shrapnel left lying near his feet.

And then his ears heard nothing as a roar of epic proportions flew across him, the sound biting painfully into his ear drums.

* * *

Hiruzen body flickered back as Rayleigh expertly swung his sword, cutting steel and the dozens of shuriken he sent with a single slash.

'It couldn't be that easy. Despite altering Kurenai's idea to cover my intentions and position, this man's reactions are still too calculated. I need to be more thorough,' a grim Hokage thought. Landing steadily, he threw a few dozen shuriken in his opponent's direction and in front of the bright moon.

The hand seals were easy to call up. This jutsu had been a part of his set of skills since he first crafted it. A jutsu said to be on par with army killers.

Ox. Dog. Dragon. Rat. Dog. Boar. Snake. Tiger- He held the burst of chakra, stopping it from releasing and executing his jutsu. Biting his lip and drawing blood he added a last seal, summoning explosive fire chakra into the jutsu's fabric. And then he waited. His mind was slightly muddled from the constant application of genjutsu to hide his intentions, but he still knew when to perfectly launch an attack.

The moment crawled and he witnessed it. Rayleigh's eyelids shifted an inestimable amount, the moonlight doing its job.

'Now!' The burst of chakra became thousands of explosive shuriken shadow clones, each spiraling towards Rayleigh. And then he caught it, a flicker of shiny black growing on Rayleigh's face. The seconds sped up and thousands of explosions crushed Rayleigh, blanketing him to such an extent that he couldn't sense him. Covering his eyes and holding onto the now shaking ground, he heard Kakashi flicker behind holding Kurenai and Asuma under his arms. Gai followed closely, his movements slower than usual.

"Hokage-sama, that black sheen could be a defensive measure. I saw him use it to deflect Asuma's chakra blade," he acknowledged Kakashi's words with a grunt, flipping through two dozen hand seals in an instant.

A colossal dragon avatar of mud formed from the ground, spitting out a wave of mud bullets directly at the explosions' epic center. Ignoring the aftermath he bit down and the avatar turned into a furious flow of mud, clashing against the ground and ripping a path to Rayleigh.

His enemy was a defensive juggernaut. One half, the precognition, had been dealt with. The other was a force, invisible and the more apparent black coloring. Both amplified defensive capabilities. Shear and blunt attacks it had and has proven firm against. But concussive force? Heat? Perhaps electromagnetic?

Taking a deep breath, Hiruzen blew fire, the bright flare of the jutsu forcing Kakashi to look away. Hand seals blurred before the fire streamed through the mud, burning it into a deep brown, cracking with rifts of magma.

The Anbu outside the barrier shouted but he ignored them. Continuing his onslaught he spun a wave of lightning, the electric arcs bouncing between his arms. Throwing it outwards, he crushed it into a pin, the blue energy turning white with burning intensity. The dot of power lazily drifted forward before disappearing. Seconds later, as the initial slew of explosives drifted away, the magnetic pulse of an electric explosion shook the entire field. Kakashi stumbled slightly, throwing up his hands in case a stray bolt struck. Yet a glance showed him a mud wall had since risen in front of the ninja.

Gulping in air, the now weary Hokage stepped forward not yet willing to relax.

"Kakashi, Gai, hold on my signal," flickering past the wall, he waited as the last of the tremors faded. Dirt and dust had formed a massive cloud across most of the field, likely displacing an enormous crater where Rayleigh stood. The area would have to be fixed later.

 _ **Crunch**_

Hiruzen's eyes lasered onto the sound's source. The sound reminding him too much of footsteps. Dust hung in the air but slowly a black shadow grew larger and closer. The crunch of dirt stopped for a few seconds before a wave of wind scattered the dirt away.

Blinking, the Hokage covered his eyes and took a step back

"That was… difficult. Though I'm afraid it wasn't enough," Silvers Rayleigh walked undisturbed, his bare feet ignoring the charred and burnt dirt. The man was covered in soot. A tear in his cloak was apparent. Even his glasses looked slightly off. Yet there were no indications of injury. There was no blood or heavy breathing or even a sprain.

"Who is this man!?" The Anbu wearing the cat mask trembled slightly as Rayleigh pierced her with a gaze. The moment lasted a second before he continued towards Hiruzen.

Breathing out the Third took hold of his staff, taking up a stance pitifully unaccustomed to the heavy weight of Enma. His body felt weak, drained of chakra that in his youth would have been so simple to exert.

'This man looks just as old as myself and yet he stands firm. Undeterred! For years I grumbled about my age as if it were my sin as a ninja. But it was just a poor excuse. A leg to stand on when surrounded by so many enemies. Am I… could I be so weak?' Hiruzen's face scrunched up with annoyance. Now wasn't the time for second guessing his own abilities. He crouched down before launching himself at Rayleigh, striking to meet an unyielding sword, the strength behind it on par with his prime. Sparks flew as the adamantium in his hands twirled, flying only to glance off the flat of the stranger's blade. The angle forced him to dash with his opponent lest he lose momentum.

Streaks of color appeared and disappeared as Rayleigh and Hiruzen countered each and every attack, a dancing sword weaving to cut away at a staff's spinning offense.

Shadow clones popped around Rayleigh, each spearing a violent staff at fatal spots. They lasted but a moment, falling easily to the enormous strength behind each sword blow. The ninjutsu attempt took time and the scratch across his arm was payment.

Kakashi appeared, a shining Raikiri wrapped around his left hand but Rayleigh's now metallic hand crushed it into nothing, tightly holding on to the copy cat's fingers. The man didn't even look. Kakashi flinched as the chakra electrocuted him and could do nothing as he was thrown back violently, flying directly into a shaky Gai. The pair bounced off the ground before collapsing into the rock wall, cratering it.

Rayleigh did not flinch as he continued his exchange with a heavily breathing Hiruzen. Blows shook the ground and shockwaves bounced off the barrier. The Hokage could not spare a second for hand seals, his opponent intentionally aiming for his hands.

Slowly but surely, he felt himself slowing. Rayleigh's kingly and overpowering visage becoming harder to ignore.

Jumping back he roared in defiance, throwing his staff towards Rayleigh and biting his lips to summon up blood.

'Not yet!' The staff shined a bright red, shaking and- then abruptly stilling. The Hokage stumbled, feeling an echo of power between his ears flowing so unnaturally that he could not focus. It was as he shook his head that he felt the tip of steel beneath his chin.

The towering man, Silvers Rayleigh, looked down on him as his sword laid across his throat, the point millimeters from nicking an artery.

"No! Bastard!" A dazed trio of Anbu could not help but stare. The barrier had been in the process of falling but now it was too late. From the very beginning the worst case scenario was an S rank ninja, yet missions hardly called for a worst case. It was an unthinking possibility for him, the Hokage, to enter combat let alone become this close to death.

A bruised Kakashi stumbled forward. He looked at the scene with wide eyes, his Sharingan flickering as he looked for any possible strategy.

Gai took no time. Crossing his arms, his body exploded with green energy, shaking the entire field and forcing Rayleigh to glance at him. The ninja's blood had pressurized to the extent that his skin shifted to a disturbing red color.

"That's quite the ability. Your presence shot up a few ceilings. Something you should have started with I think," Rayleigh turned back to look at the still Hokage, and Hiruzen looked back at him.

The Third grimaced. If he were to die then it would be a death to save his village. Rayleigh was too powerful to let loose. But did he have room and time for the Death Reaper seal?

His question was answered as Rayleigh stepped back, shocking everyone.

A smile appeared on the man's face, warming up the tension surrounding them.

"So do you know who I am yet? If I were an enemy, I could have weakened the Leaf considerably by killing you and your strongest ninja. If I were conspiring against you then I would have done it in a much more subtle way. Believe it or not, I just wandered in here and found Naruto, a boy who needed help," Rayleigh remain unfazed at the Gai two inches away from him, the man's fists shaking with power, nor did he blink as three Anbu appeared, each of their swords aimed at vulnerable areas. Kakashi was in front of the Hokage, his Sharingan spinning much more rapidly than before.

The Hokage continued staring at Rayleigh before sighing loudly. Waving his hand, the three Anbu flickered to his side. Gai hesitantly powered down, breathing heavily from the sudden gate openings. Kakashi stood unmoved.

A quick cough had the copy cat flinch before stepping back and behind him.

Rubbing his chin the Third spoke, "It is not the way of ninja to accept such wild situations without attempting to control them first. A symptom of my sensei's teachings I presume," a smoking pipe appeared in his hand, giving him much needed calm as the smoke filled his lungs.

Rayleigh nodded, perhaps realizing what he meant.

"You are not a ninja, that much is clear. Normal ninja would have been more understanding of the themes of caution and secrecy. But I see now that is a good thing. Our fight revealed to me that despite everything, you won't hurt this village. Or Naruto. Something that may have been impossible otherwise," concluded Hiruzen, the sagely tone echoing into the dead silent field.

"Kakashi, Gai, please take the rest and heal your injuries. I must have a long talk with Rayleigh-san here," both men flickered away after a few seconds, taking the injured Asuma and Kurenai.

The Anbu looked at the Hokage before fading into the shadows, the broken barrier near the end most likely spiked chakra levels and alerted others. They would need to gather men to repair the field and clean up evidence before anything came to light.

"Please, Rayleigh-san, follow me," Hiruzen body flickered towards his tower, trusting Rayleigh to keep up.

…

Hiruzen breathed heavily as he sat in his leather chair, the exhaustion pouring out of him. Lighting his pipe he inhaled the smoke before blowing it from his nostrils.

He closed his eyes for a few seconds, enjoying the peaceful hum of the night. It almost felt like any other day. But the dirt on his hands and his shallow breaths could not be ignored.

Opening one eye he peered at the somewhat upbeat stranger.

"I was surprised not to see anyone outside on my way here," Rayleigh rubbed his chin, the strange beard pattern not something he had ever seen before.

Chuckling, the Hokage pushed a few papers on his desk aside, resting both his arms.

"We put down an early curfew, normal for a ninja village as you can imagine. Now tell me, Rayleigh-san. Who are you really?" Hiruzen's tone turned serious near the end.

Rayleigh looked at him, the man's eyes sharpening slightly as he searched the Third's.

The stranger sighed slightly before nodding. Rayleigh pointed behind him, causing him to glance at a particularly full bottle of sake.

Understanding the silent message, he poured two cups.

"Ah. That hits the spot. It's been a while since I had such a good drink," the silver haired man drained his cup in seconds before refilling it.

"That's quite the question. Where to start then… I'm not from here. Not from this continent. My continent, oceans really, was ruled by what you excellently deduced to be an actual force called the World Government," a loud sigh escaped Rayleigh after finishing his second cup.

Hiruzen frowned, not believing the stranger. The Elemental Nations while not stretching across the entire globe, were a significant portion of it. From the Land of Lightning to the Land of Spring, there was not enough space for Rayleigh's word to make sense.

"This land… was it a small one? Not very indicative of a World Government," he murmured, hoping the silver haired man would clarify.

"Haha. I'd say their name fit well. Their reach spread across the entire world. They hold authority in thousands of cities and hundreds of countries," Rayleigh took sips of his third cup, the man was clearly in love with alcohol.

"Impossible. We ninja are not so isolated to miss the existence of such a force. At the very least we would have gone to war with them knowing our history," Rayleigh nodded in agreement at his words.

"Right. The only solution is that we're from two different worlds. I had been… swimming at the time when I found myself on the shores of the Land of Waves. A strange power had taken me, a man with strange abilities, to your world," the words came reluctantly, afraid of a wild reaction.

Holding in his first instinct to state the foolishness of such a lie, the Hokage stilled.

"Your abilities are strange, I admit. And the lack of chakra as well. But these are not unprecedented. Mutations of energy happen every now and then, producing a powerful person. And chakra, contrary to the average textbook, is not universal. Not everyone has the proper meld of spiritual and physical energy," he took another breath of smoke, closing his eyes in thought.

"But… why utter such a lie Rayleigh? Anything else could have been better, more readily believable. Which is how I find myself, despite my instincts and experience, slowly listening to you," muttered Hiruzen, he tapped his pipe, clearing it of ash.

"It's a hard concept to wrap your mind around, truly. Tell me Rayleigh-san. Should I be worried of more of you? More people summoned through space and time that can use your abilities?" The Hokage's question seemed to resonate throughout the whole room, an underlying worry to his tone.

Rayleigh furrowed his eyebrows, a thoughtful expression coming to his face.

"It's hard to say. If my being brought here was a random accident, then I assure you, seeing the Colors of Haki from someone else is exceedingly rare. But if someone had targeted me, a powerful individual if I say so myself, then that may be the case," Rayleigh spoke, pausing slightly as he explained his thoughts.

The Hokage coughed, rubbing his forehead as the possibilities grew worse. A powerful new world's invasion would bring chaos to the land. Death surpassing even the wars of his past. He glanced up at Rayleigh, watching the man drain another cup. The silver haired man mentioned he was strong relative to his world, but how much exactly?

"Colors of Haki. What exactly are they?" His question stole Rayleigh's attention for a few seconds.

The man laughed before replying, "You've experienced them already. Haki is a presence of will, ambition. Observation, a sixth sense to detect and predict others. Armament, a force used to strengthen defense and offense. And lastly, Conqueror's. An exceedingly rare ability to lay dominion, pitting your will against obstacles. I plan to teach Naruto along his swordsmanship lessons how to harness this will," Hiruzen's eyes widened at Rayleigh's descriptions. This Haki strangely reminded him of the Will of Fire.

The introduction of such a power would be a boon to the Leaf. And knowing he could trust Rayleigh with Naruto now, it would not be a bad idea to let the man train the boy.

'But Haki… surely we would have discovered it by now,' he pondered.

"Are you sure you can teach Naruto? We've never had such a power manifest, we may not be capable. I wouldn't want you to get his hopes up," Rayleigh nodded at his words.

"You're right, I concluded the people here do not have Haki, something thought impossible in my lands. But I believe it's worth a try, perhaps his body could adapt during my training," the silver haired man stood up, putting down the empty bottle of saki.

"I see… well then, please take this," Hiruzen searched his desk compartment for a few seconds before revealing a scroll.

Rayleigh took it hesitantly.

"It's a text on spiritual and physical energies within the body. It may help. And also, please follow the ninja standing outside. He'll show you to an apartment," the Third chuckled as Rayleigh's eyes widened.

"Quite generous for a man who had been my opponent a few minutes ago. Yet I shouldn't question such gifts. Thank you," Rayleigh earnestly spoke.

Waving away the man's thanks, Hiruzen watched as he walked away, hearing him talk with the ninja and follow him. The man's lack of chakra made it hard to sense him leave the building, but his hearing and smell weren't that weak just yet.

A swift gust of wind scattered the parchment on his desk, causing him to grumble in annoyance.

"Danzo. Must you appear so quickly?" The bandaged man ignored his complaint.

"It's a dangerous game you're playing, Hiruzen, believing such a ridiculous story. And he's hiding things, not answering what he really is. A soldier, an assassin? For all we know he could be a warlord. Accounting for the stranger overpowering you and our top jonin in combat entirely, assassination should be our recourse," the Hokage laughed at Danzo's longer than usual spiel, the tone mocking as he stared at him.

"You could try sending assassins, only to ruin the tenuous diplomacy I've established as he slaughters them," Danzo narrowed an eye, not liking Hiruzen's tone.

"This… Observation Haki can be negated. Even he would die against poison or a well placed seal," his old teammate waited as he smoked, clearly hoping for a concession.

"You said it yourself, we don't know everything about him. I remember our battle and despite countering the precognition, he failed to be caught truly off guard. There's more to it or else I would have poisoned his sake," Danzo raised an eyebrow before slowly nodding.

"We'll study him, from a large enough distance that he won't notice. The coasts of the Land of Waves will have to be looked at too," Danzo turned away before saying one more thing, "The Jinchuriki, with the possibility of gaining Haki is the transference canceled?"

Hiruzen closed his eyes, "Rayleigh seems to have taken a liking to Naruto. He won't train anyone else and a dead Naruto would enrage him. No, the transference is postponed. We can spare a few years in light of Haki being so significant, but the Bijuu's power is our sole defense against the other nations. Even more important with news of a new world," Hiruzen heard more than saw as Danzo flickered away, his papers slowly drifting to the ground.

A bitter expression came to his face as he looked at Minato's portrait.

"You understand more than anyone the importance of sacrifice. I wonder if it hurt you as much as it hurts me."

* * *

Author's Note:

Second chapter done! This was originally supposed to be longer but I decided to split it in half. This means we see less of Naruto, unfortunately. Next chapter should be a pure Naruto chapter with only a bit of Rayleigh at the end to make up for it.

A few things to clarify here. I consider Haki universal among people in One Piece, but not Naruto. This will cause issues with training someone from Naruto to use Haki, but Rayleigh will attempt to work around them. Another thing, evil Hokage. He's not. He's just pragmatic. He was willing to sacrifice his soul to weaken an enemy that was a danger to the Leaf. He might think fondly of Naruto, but I could also see him transfer the Kyuubi from a host with problems if it endangered the village.

Genjutsu used by Kurenai not working on Rayleigh does not mean all genjutsu won't work. In my story and from my observations of Naruto, most genjutsu use the chakra flow in a body, but some ocular ones (Sharingan) actually send chakra into a person's brain. Rayleigh would be vulnerable to that type.

Rayleigh seems overpowered, I agree. But in a quick fight, the ninja have already taken out 1/3 of his Haki. And Conqueror's won't catch them off guard again. I won't explicitly say Rayleigh is as strong as X character since a lot of variables are at play during fights.

If you have any questions, please review or send me a PM. From this point on I'll try to answer reviews with PMs.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or One Piece

Chapter 3

* * *

Sizzling caught Naruto's ears as he passed through the bustling square. Early morning breakfast was being served. The chill in the air pushed a little urgency in the gaggle of people perusing the food stands.

Men and women hurried across, barely watching where they were going as they gossiped. Some ate fried eggs ensorceled in worn out bowls and others ate steamed pork from the smell of it, a hint of ginger wafting from the spices as the sweating cook made it. He followed the steam rising from the various pots and skillets. The apartment walls were covered in stains, the brickwork clearly having suffered from being a part of the square.

Despite the growing hunger in his stomach he forged on, eventually making it past the square and into a dirt alley. He sprinted, ignoring the sudden chest pain as he flew through. Cackling grannies in a tiresome routine began to dump basin water above him, their smiles turning ugly as he jumped past the splatter of muck.

He laughed. Some people were too bitter.

The academy would be another day of one sided jokes and boring lectures. But now he had a trump card, his growing sword skills. Two weeks of lessons under his sensei, Rayleigh, may not have changed his chakra situation but the feeling of growth… strength was real. Already he could get into a working stance in a short amount of time.

Now, they were focusing on agility and reactions, as according to Rayleigh the lack of chakra prevented him from overpowering his opponents. Meaning strength match-ups were a no go. It was annoying, but he understood. He had to.

The signature red walls of the Hokage tower came into view as he ran past, his arms involuntarily falling behind in the common ninja movement. Something that apparently had Rayleigh laughing the first time he tried to explain it. He didn't know why they ran that way, it just happened.

Behind the tower and essentially attached to it was the ninja academy. Already he could see groups of students moving lazily through the entrance. One of them was familiar.

Naruto ignored the whispers and giggles that suddenly magnified as he approached his classmates.

"Naruto," the black haired boy looked and sounded uninterested despite starting the conversation.

"Hey Shikamaru. You too Choji," the larger boy frowned at his upbeat voice.

"No offense, Naruto, but I still don't know why you're so excited to come here. I wouldn't be," Choji nervously mentioned, his hand scratching the back of his head as his other searched the empty bag of chips.

Naruto scowled, his eyes glaring at his classmate as his mood quickly turned sour. Shoving ahead he had started walking inside, hurriedly going through the wooden hallway. An embarrassed Choji and unaffected Shikamaru trailed behind.

"I already said, Choji. I'm going to be a ninja," Naruto's words seemed to finally get Shikamaru talking.

"Yes, we know already. A 'super awesome swordmaster', to quote your words, has apparently begun to train you. But you can't expect us to believe without chakra you'll graduate Naruto," all three stopped at their classroom door. Choji hung back in case his orange wearing classmate exploded in anger.

Naruto looked down, his blond hair falling in front of his eyes.

"They'd be stupid not to graduate me. As long as I can get the job done, it doesn't matter how," Shikamaru narrowed his eyes at him for a moment before scoffing. He pushed past into the classroom. Choji smiled in apology at Naruto before quickly following his best friend.

'What did I expect. They won't believe me until I show them,' scowled Naruto. His semi-friends from class had been walking on eggshells for the two months since his problem was found, with the exception of Kiba. But after reaffirming he was going to become a ninja just after Rayleigh began to teach him, they were growing increasingly frustrated. He growled, not knowing how much more he can take of their stupid questions.

He pushed the door open before finding a spot in the second row. A quick glance in front and he could see that bastard Sasuke putting his feet up.

'Why am I not surprised?'

A girl with white eyes was at his right. Hinata, a Hyuuga. She glanced at him before immediately turning away as he caught her eye. Strange.

Sakura and Ino were oddly silent today. Both seemingly not in the mood for their daily Sasuke worship as they begrudgingly talked about winter fashion or something as boring. He saw a few of his classmates start a game with a board, Kiba bragging extra loud as he defeated Ami. The sudden halt in murmuring meant Mizuki or Iruka was here.

Naruto looked forward and saw a less than enthusiastic set of teachers.

Iruka and Mizuki looked tired, which meant some ninjutsu practice. Great…

 _ **RING**_

"I'm glad to see that everyone is here. Today we'll be working on your practical skills. I know it's cold today but that's the perfect time to get our juices flowing. Mizuki and I have already drawn match-ups at random for taijutsu spars outside," he paused as excited whispers and some groans started filling the room.

"Ahem! Thank you…" Iruka's scary face was harsher than usual as he glared at what he would sooner call brats than prosperous academy students. The silence came immediately. Smiling, Iruka continued.

"...We'll focus on speed and urgency, so it shouldn't take more than an hour. After which, we'll practice the Clone jutsu. I know some of you have been struggling with it," Iruka turned to the desk and then cleared his throat as he picked up his board, flipping through a few pages. Snickers and whispers of Naruto's name were going around already, causing him to frown. Ninjutsu was bad enough but a spar too?

Iruka muttered something to Mizuki before calling for everyone to meet outside in the field.

...

Naruto felt slightly nervous despite his recent gain in confidence. Mizuki had even started treating him badly again. But this was the first that he'd use the skills taught to him by Rayleigh. Skills beyond the sword.

" _Dodge before seeing Naruto. Chakra makes others faster. So you'll have to do the one thing they can't do faster. Think. Follow their movements, predict, and move before they start their next attack. With a sword you can create even more distance to study movements," Rayleigh's voice seemed to shake Naruto from his back, forcing him to stand back up._

 _Rocks littered the ground as did the bruises on Naruto. Rayleigh threw the rocks in an obvious way earlier, but slowly it had become harder to read. It felt like every inch of his brain was working in overdrive to find any clue on where and when to dodge. Rayleigh had begun to point out things like muscles flexing and slight changes in posture, but it was hard to keep track of everything. And on top of all that he couldn't recklessly throw himself to the side or he'd lose his balance and eat a bunch of rocks._

" _Don't forget to tense up this time. Taking attacks will happen, especially since we're assuming you're unarmed this time. Against a chakra strengthened blow, it'll feel like ten men did the attacking. To avoid serious damage you need to tense your muscles and skin right before. This will also help you react as your muscles become ready for abrupt movements," Rayleigh was rewarded with Naruto tiredly nodding, ready to continue._

He patted his chest as the scene played out in his mind, only just holding in a flinch as the bruises there pulsed with soreness. Good. The pain would help him concentrate according to his sensei.

His classmates were in a circle, surrounding Choji and Ino. Both didn't look very interested in the battle but he could see that Ino didn't want to lose.

Mizuki gained his attention as he announced the rules, "Everyone gets three knockdowns. But if you go one minute without knocking your opponent down, then he or she gets a knockdown added to the max of three. Knockouts result in an instant win. Remember! This is testing how fast you take down enemies. Which is why we have the one minute rule. No weapons, only taijutsu. Now then, ready Choji, Ino? Do the Seal of Confrontation and begin."

The fight was boring. Clearly both didn't focus on quick take downs. He sat down the same time others did just as everyone started booing.

'But I have to admit, it feels like they're going fast…'

He pulled at the grass as he thought of how he could handle this. Maybe trip them up? But that would probably leave him off balance. Then he could maybe use their speed against them. But wouldn't that be a bit slow for this type of match-up?

"Damn…" Naruto threw the grass away, starting to think it was too early for a fight at this stage.

"Sorry?" He turned suddenly. Hinata. She was sitting near him again, her eyes wide and disturbingly focused.

"Er…I didn't say anything," her face turned red, and she turned around with what sounded like a squeak.

Catching himself he quickly whispered, "I mean I did say something! I was just wondering how you could take someone down fast," his words did the trick as Hinata hesitantly faced him, her face still red.

She breathed out before replying, "W-well, with my taijutsu I just aim for their… chakra pathways."

Naruto's face scrunched up, his eyes closing involuntarily as if in thought, "Hmm, I remember you sparring last time. I think you used your fingers?" His fingers poked the air, causing her to giggle.

She nodded, her large coat almost covering her mouth.

"Gentle Fist. I insert my chakra into their body and cause i-internal damage. But I'm only allowed to u-use it on muscles in spars."

Naruto's eyes grew wide. That sounded scary. It was almost like forcing everyone to feel like him, where one good hit was game over.

"That's amazing Hinata! I guess you'd aim for their legs to take them down quickly. That would probably count as a knockdown," he murmured, missing Hinata growing even redder.

He looked up as Iruka called for Kiba and Shino, Ino was currently nursing her head and glaring at Choji for winning. The match would go to Kiba unless Shino was hiding muscles under his coat.

"Um, Naruto-san?" The small voice barely reached him but he turned to Hinata.

"Yeah?"

She was silent for a time and only somewhat met his eyes. After a few seconds he nearly asked again but that turned out to be unnecessary.

"I wanted to say after all this time...Y-You are brave to stay, even when your chakra is- is not working like it should. I believe in you," Naruto stared at her, the silence stretching for a long time and almost scaring Hinata off. But a smile spread across the yellow haired boy's face. A smile to rival his sensei's.

Laughing he scratched his head, "Hinata that's- that's amazing. Thanks! I won't let you down, I can-will promise you that."

She nodded and smiled back. But before she could reply she was called up.

"Good job Kiba. Shino, please practice your defensive measures against attacks from below. Now, Hinata and Sakura!"

Hinata stood, glancing behind her to see Naruto give her a thumbs up. Smiling she entered the circle.

Sakura looked nervous, acknowledging that fighting Hinata's taijutsu was difficult if not impossible. She hesitantly put her hand in the Seal of Confrontation, waiting as Hinata slowly completed it.

The beginning of the match started with a tense silence. Only broken as Sakura stole a look at Sasuke. Hinata took advantage. Her arms bent at the elbow, fingers straight as chakra flowed through them. Sakura flipped back in a high leap, narrowly dodging the fingers aimed at her knees.

She landed in a stumble before putting up a textbook style of the traditional taijutsu stance. Cheers from the audience almost distracted her from seeing Hinata step into close range. In a move akin to something from Sasuke, Sakura twisted around Hinata entirely, kicking the girl's knees out as she swept a leg.

The Hyuuga lost balance and fell, immediately removing one knockdown. Her white eyes habitually moved to Naruto, narrowing considerably as she saw a hint of disappointment. She pushed off the ground slowly, staring at a slightly smug Sakura.

Her fists tightened before she dashed forward, breaking into a stance just as Sakura jumped to the side. She turned rapidly at a 90 degree angle, jumping above the predictable leg sweep. Her fingers shot out before her opponent even filled the space.

A shriek escaped Sakura. Two fingers had briefly touched her right thigh, and already she could feel nothing. Her left leg attempted to compensate but the lack of balance couldn't help against four more strikes at her abdomen, the slack of core muscles abruptly making her fall forward.

In a show of grace Hinata swayed around Sakura, tapping paralyzing bolts into the girl's back and finally dropping her opponent into the dirt. Unnecessary, but it felt good.

Iruka stared at Hinata, a frown on his face before he began the countdown from ten, wincing as everyone in the circle cheered more loudly than they had for anyone else.

"That's a Hyuuga for you."

"You think that bookworm Sakura ever had a chance?"

"Hey, she actually got one knockdown on Hinata-san. Though it may have been some noble thing. Nobles tend to do that I've heard."

Sakura was pushed over gently after the match was called. Hinata struck a few spots giving the pink haired girl feeling in her lower body. The audience cheered again, making the white eyed girl blush.

The loser of the match shakily stood up with Hinata's help. Sakura looked almost embarrassed before she thanked her, the ninja in training hurriedly exiting the center of the circle and hiding in the audience. Hinata gazed a few seconds before moving back to her spot near Naruto.

The boy looked off towards Sakura, a hint of underlying worry lining his face. Hinata frowned. She had thought he'd be happy at her winning, but there was a sadness in Naruto's expression. Maybe she had been too harsh on Sakura.

Inhaling, she quietly sat next to the boy, hoping she could work her way into another conversation.

Naruto glanced at Hinata before turning to look at Shikamaru fighting Tsuna. Despite his kind-of-friend's lazy demeanor, he knew this match would go to the Nara. Tsuna cried on most days and the days he didn't he wished he could.

Shikamaru's clean punch on Tsuna's nose proved him right. The boy surprisingly held his own for the first minute but the sudden impact clearly threw him. Tsuna trembled and gave up. The Nara sighed before walking away.

"I'm sorry, Naruto. My... anger overwhelmed me then and I selfishly took it out on Sakura," Hinata's voice was pleading, a hint of shame coloring it.

Naruto didn't look as he slowly replied, "I guess Sakura would be happier if you told her that, but hiding how powerful you are won't help her in the long run. She has a goal to reach now. No, Hinata. I'm the one who should be sorry, I guess seeing someone get beaten so badly is a little hard for me. Good job on the win."

Hinata gasped. For a person like Naruto, to see such a disparity in strength, it must have reminded him of his own challenges.

"I see. Naruto, thank you," she smiled at Naruto's confused expression before it twisted into horror at the next matchup.

Mizuki looked giddy as he called out Naruto's and Sasuke's names. Iruka attempted to signal his coworker but the man seemingly didn't see it.

Naruto stood up, moving stiffly in the dizzying silence around him. Whispers eased in as Sasuke entered the center.

"Is Mizuki trying to get Naruto killed? Without chakra this is like sanctioned murder…"

"According to 'Principles of Chakras and Gates', a Shinobi's body continuously uses chakra for defense and offense. How else could we jump so high or run so fast? This idiot's about to show us why this fact is important."

"I feel for the guy to be honest. Sasuke's a pain in the ass to fight, chakra or not."

Hinata mouth formed into the closest thing to a scowl as everyone began treating the match akin to an execution. But as her eyes caught the sweat falling from Iruka's forehead, glaring in this cold, she couldn't help but feel that even believing had limits. A shadow at her right caused her to turn. The Hokage!

Was he here to put a stop to this madness? But as the seconds passed and no one stepped up to put an end to anything, she feared the worst.

Naruto glanced at the Hokage.

He had visited the old man a few days after his first lesson with Rayleigh and it turned out they were friends. Old people knew each other everywhere apparently. And it looked like the head boss wanted to see for himself the results of two weeks with Rayleigh.

'Well you and me both old man,' Naruto thought, his hands involuntarily sweating as he listened to everyone gossip at the Hokage's showing.

Sasuke wore the usual. A blue shirt and white shorts. Even his own orange shirt and pants offered better protection. But he had a feeling that would do nothing in this special matchup. Taijutsu spars were rare, and when they did occur in the past, chakra had been normally less important in developing ninja. A big part of what led to him being tested for chakra in the first place.

But now it made or break a fight. Even Ino, the skinny girl that would sooner paint her nails, looked too fast for comfort in his eyes.

'Against Sasuke I can't stop for a second. Rayleigh-sensei said it best, I just have to read the moves beforehand,' figured Naruto, his eyes never leaving Sasuke who casually stepped in front of him.

Iruka looked at them both before sighing.

"I don't want anything, er, excessive. Got it? Now make the seal."

Naruto grit his teeth as Sasuke looked down on him, a hint of amusement pervading even the Uchiha's stoic demeanor. His opponent casually raised the Seal of Confrontation.

Begrudgingly, he completed the seal just as it got too uncomfortable in the silence following Iruka's words.

"Now, begin!"

Naruto jumped back, backpedaling right to the very edge of the circle. His opponent slowly moved forward, hands down and slightly swaying at the side. No visible stance but ready for anything.

His hands moved up as his right foot pressed forward. Rayleigh had said he should feel out where to put his hands on an object. But he never said anything about not doing it without the object too.

The stance was strange by academy standards. A left arm curled into his body, the fist upside down and angled at Sasuke. His right arm also pointed out in a fist, but extending forward. It felt good, giving him the same feeling he had when correctly wielding his stick.

"What's that?"

"He did say he had a teacher outside of the academy. Could be he learned something new."

"Won't help. It leaves his right side too vulnerable. Not much of a teacher."

Naruto glared. These idiots were doubting Rayleigh.

Sasuke was a few feet away now and for some reason he had stopped moving.

"You really think you stand a chance? At first I thought you were a decent opponent. But it's different, now." The words were the first thing the Uchiha had said to him ever since he stopped arguing more than two months ago. And despite all that, despite the rivalry and fighting between them, there was pity. He looked down on him like all the others.

"Just come at me bastard!"

Sasuke closed his eyes before _blurring_ into his defense, breaking his stance in seconds. Yelping, Naruto rolled to the right, pieces of hair falling as a fist cut its way inches from his face. He caught himself in a clumsy crouch and dashed forward to make distance.

In a show of agility, Sasuke flipped backwards, landing directly in front of a running Naruto.

The Uzumaki haphazardly entered his stance, his arms moving just in time to catch a kick coming from below. Biting his tongue to hide the cry of pain from the crack that shook into his bones, Naruto grimaced as he evaded the blur of fists that followed.

Right shoulder tensing inwards. A right punch. He tucked his head to the left, the extended right arm doing its job to deflect the incoming fist along his elbow.

Left elbow bent, muscles visible along the inner forearm. An uppercut then. Naruto sucked in a breath and tensed his left fist. A streak of color and he let loose the hand. His knuckles groaned in agony as he punched the uppercut down enough for it to strike wide, not risking a battle of strength. His left foot took advantage of the position to step into Sasuke's sudden guard.

Opponent's pupils are focused and breathing sped up. A burst of speed imminent. Naruto punched out with his aching left fist, snaking it up towards Sasuke's face.

A slight glance to the left. The Uchiha will dodge to his right.

A hand tightening and an angled back. It could mean a counterattack from the behind. But…

Feet pulling back, the ankles close together. The glance was a lie. A counter attack from the front but using a jump!

His fist passed through air as Sasuke jumped forward, his knee exploding on Naruto's forehead and launching him across the ground.

Dirt scattered as Naruto flew to the edge, eventually coming to a stop in silence.

The sharp needles going through his head were impossible to ignore. Wet coughs escaped him.

Blearily opening his eyes, the world couldn't say still enough for him to focus. But as he felt warmth drip down his face, the fight suddenly came back to the forefront.

'I read that too late, damn it all.'

"4, 3…"

Eyes wide, Naruto pushed off the ground using his hands, kipping up.

He landed shakily in a crouch, but it was enough to stop the countdown.

"Damn it Naruto, you should have stayed down. You're bleeding," Kiba murmured in the silence.

Naruto briefly looked in the Inuzuka's direction before finding Sasuke who had apparently turned around to walk away.

Growling he shouted, "I'm not done yet bastard!"

Slipping into a run he sped across the field, swiping at the Uchiha's back, only to miss as the boy side stepped the clumsy attack.

Naruto glanced to the side before launching three punches, each aimed at the throat for a quick end to the fight.

Muscles flexing on the right shoulder. A sudden straightening of posture. An attempt to appear bigger. Defy, not evade.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes and pushed each attack down, ruthlessly crushing Naruto's fists with his own.

No movement at the feet. Posture indicates a straightforward attack with the right hand. Imminent attack on weakly defended spots. Stomach, shoulders, feet. Naruto steeled himself.

The black haired boy pushed his palm against the Uzumaki's stomach, throwing him across the field hard enough that it bounced his body upwards. The impact echoed into the audience, causing a collective wince as Naruto shook with force. But shockingly the orange wearing boy recovered as he spun in the air, his feet grinding against the field.

"Wow… how the hell is Naruto still standing?" Choji looked at Shikamaru for an answer, but the usually indifferent boy had taken to focusing on the fight, eyes narrowed in thought.

"Give me a second Choji, I'm thinking here."

Iruka discussed something with Mizuki before announcing it was a knockdown, to the cheers of several girls.

Naruto shakily straightened out, slightly gasping as his stomach throbbed with pain. Sasuke looked furious, repeatedly opening and closing the hand that just hit him.

'Almost got it that time. Just have to observe more, like gramps told me.'

Glaring at the Uchiha, Naruto walked forward, slowly transitioning to his original fighting stance.

Both stood still before shooting forward, the much faster Sasuke easily outpacing Naruto. In a show of dexterity, the Uchiha flipped forward, his leg falling in a devastating axe over Naruto.

Blinking, the Uzumaki timely stopped, jumping back just as the leg slashed the air in front of him.

Left leg bent. Arms stretched out behind for balance. Only viable attack, a kick forward with the left leg.

Naruto whispered past the second kick, his skin burning as the friction hugged his right arm.

Both legs unexpectedly missed their target, becoming unbalanced. The heel of the first kicking leg could suffer from a mule kick at the ankle. Risky. It will leave his own body vulnerable to a similar attack. Then he'd aim for the cap of the Uchiha's right knee, locking it in. He'll simultaneously strike both his fists at the throat and chest, forcing his opponent to use his hands. Finally, his right foot will smash against the stomach. Payback.

Sasuke sucked in air just as he missed, his foot stinging as he was forced to land faster than he'd liked. He caught Naruto's punches casually, pushing the wrists apart.

He looked down as the Uzumaki struck his knee, landing a weak attack, but enough to force him back. His peripheral vision caught the kick coming at his stomach. In a show of force he jumped up, using Naruto's arms as a surface, and leapt over entirely. He kicked off his opponent's back, crushing him into the ground.

"Hah, I thought for a second you were doing something interesting but I must have imagined it," Sasuke mused, his feet slowly stepping off of the laid out Naruto. Almost without pause, he stumbled, falling to one knee.

His eyes widened.

'That kick! It actually locked my knee in,' the Uchiha realized.

"Hmm, Naruto lost but that knockdown is considered a point against Sasuke. Well done Naruto. Your reactions and timing have become... extraordinary," Iruka praised with a slight pause. A smile came to the scarred man's face, glad that his student proved him wrong in underestimating him. But not entirely sure how when considering his student's condition.

Naruto slowly pushed himself up, stumbling before straightening.

The shock still crowd around him hesitated for a few more seconds before reluctantly clapping. A tinge of confusion and disbelief hung in the air.

"I've gotta say, for someone like Naruto to even try is amazing. Let alone actually getting a point on Sasuke Uchiha."

"It looked like he was lucky, but that's still pretty cool."

"Sasuke just had a bad day, calm down."

The Uzumaki looked in the direction of Shikamaru, who immediately nodded to him, something in his expression.

'Is he… sorry?' Naruto shook his head before making his way back to Hinata. The smile on her face was perhaps the largest he's ever seen on the usually silent Hyuuga, or any Hyuuga for that matter. It fit her well.

"Naruto-san! T-that was amazing. I-it almost seemed like you knew what Sasuke-san was doing?" The question was unexpected but Naruto nodded in agreement as he looked around, catching more than a few people listening.

"I've been training my reactions a lot. My sensei said it's the best thing for-" He paused as Sasuke stood a few feet away from him.

Waiting for the boy to say something, the entire audience stilled their gossip.

"You… reminded me of an Uchiha. I thought it was a fluke that you read my moves earlier, but you, you're actually doing it. Who exactly is your sensei?" The words came out searching, an undercurrent of demand in the tone.

Scratching his cheek, Naruto didn't answer immediately. Strangely, he was uncomfortable with sharing information about Rayleigh.

"Sasuke-san, I'm sure Naruto is tired from the very exciting spar. Please let him rest," the Hokage's voice widened everyone's eyes. Sasuke twitched before stiffly nodding in respect, afraid to push the issue in front of the village's leader. Turning around the black haired boy walked off to his original spot, some distance away from the circle.

"Iruka, the next match?" Iruka jumped at Hiruzen's words, calling up the next participants.

The Third patted Naruto's head.

"Good job. You've improved. I look forward to seeing the rest of your will."

He nodded at a confused Naruto before disappearing in a gust of smoke. Slowly the orange wearing boy sat down again, for the first time relaxing.

The Uzumaki looked at the empty spot before shaking his head.

'He probably knows about Haki,' contemplated the twelve year old.

As the crowd slowly focused on something else, the Hokage's strange wording brought to mind the training and discussion he had with his sensei.

...

" _Hmm, it seems that your reactions are progressing well enough," the silver haired man was sat on a large stone pillar, watching as Naruto dodged the scattering of rocks in somewhat clumsy jumps from pillar to pillar. This circle of pillars had been the creation of a ninja on Rayleigh's behest._

" _But it's not enough…" Naruto tripped at that, falling suddenly before flipping forward and landing in a crouch. His feet trembled at the height he fell from._

" _What the hell, gramps!"_

 _Rayleigh laughed. His chuckles echoing into the field._

 _Sighing Naruto wearily stood up, his face scrunching in thought._

" _But sensei, what did you mean it wasn't enough? I'm getting better right? Faster, stronger, cooler for sure."_

 _A blink later and Rayleigh jumped off and landed casually in front of his student. He ambled his way to his sandals, dusting off his hands from the dirt that gathered training Naruto. In silence he put on his sandals before narrowing his eyes at a now nervous boy._

" _Er...gramps?"_

" _Naruto. The way you are now, you will never be able to compete at the levels of the best ninja. Eventually you could stretch that reaction speed to its limits, but you'll be too slow, unable to act on it. Maybe you could steel yourself enough to ignore pain, but not enough to ignore bone shattering damage." Rayleigh's voice was hard and unforgiving. A tone so unexpected from the old man that Naruto took several seconds to process what exactly was said._

 _Eyes wide, Naruto tightened his fists._

' _Even Rayleigh-sensei has given up on me,' he looked down, trying to hide the tears at his recent failure._

" _I had hoped putting you through these specific exercises would awaken in you Haki, a power different from chakra. But in the few days past, I did not sense any change," the carefully uttered words caught Naruto's attention._

' _Haki? What is he talking about?' The hopelessness in his thoughts gave way to confusion._

 _Rayleigh nodded at Naruto's confusion._

" _Haki is a power that harnesses your will. It gives you the ability to cover your body in a suit of armor." Rayleigh suddenly dashed forward and smacked a pillar with his palm, pulverizing it into pieces of razor sharp rocks. A rain of them had started to fall atop Rayleigh._

 _Naruto jumped back, mouth hanging open at the power behind the strike._

" _It also gives you the ability to evade attacks with a sixth sense," the silver haired man closed his eyes and sidestepped and swayed past the chunks of rocks falling around him. It was as if he could see where every piece would fall beforehand._

 _As the dust settled, Naruto felt Rayleigh look at him. His eyes had narrowed and then something happened, shaking him._

" _Haki can also, in a select few, conqueror the will power of opponents, overcoming them entirely," a wave of power struck Naruto following Rayleigh's whisper. It was like being thrown in the deepest pool, the water crushing his head as he attempted to swim out._

 _All of a sudden, before it drowned him, the feeling disappeared._

" _This is not chakra, Naruto. Your pathway system is not needed here. But despite that, you do not have Haki. Or at least it is stubbornly staying dormant. This has led me to do my own bit of research. You mentioned earlier that chakra is formed from spiritual and physical energy," a shaky Naruto nodded absently at the statement, stunned as the blunt truth of Rayleigh's words transformed into a lecture._

 _Rayleigh closed his eyes for a moment before leaning on a pillar._

" _What exactly are those energies? This question I asked myself, and from there followed many more," the silver haired man's words resonated out in the silence, ensnaring the young Naruto._

 _Rayleigh opened his eyes._

" _In the end, I've decided those energies are the key to giving you Haki. You have to_ connect _yourself to Haki by using your inner energies to learn it," Naruto was silent at the words for a time. But pessimism slowly worked its way into him._

" _How…? Is it even possible for me to do the things you just did? Haki is... I've never heard of it before." Folding his arms into his chest, the ninja in training's eyes narrowed slightly._

" _Sorry sensei, but I think old man Hokage would have helped out already if I really could do anything like that."_

 _Rayleigh's serious eyes didn't change._

" _Your Hokage may be a powerful man, but he is still a man. As for Haki… it is a force hidden within willful beings. It is similar to chakra in that regard but much rarer. I'm not surprised you haven't heard of it. As for the how, the idea had come to me when I looked into how chakra was used. You know of fire and water jutsu, right Naruto?"_

 _Hesitantly, Naruto nodded, remembering spars between ninja a few years ago. His heart felt heavy with the knowledge that that world of power was closed off to him._

 _Rayleigh smiled tightly, possibly thinking of the insensitivity of the question. Coughing into his hand he continued, "Chakra is an impressive thing. It can be used to enhance the body and trick your opponents, and on top of that it can also manipulate the elements. But to me, for such a power to exist, one that can do many different things, is strange." Naruto interrupted Rayleigh with a groan. So the man_ wasn't _hyper aware of his feelings._

" _Gramps, I don't have chakra remember!?" Chuckling the older man pointed at Naruto, confusing the boy._

" _But you do have spiritual and physical energy. And that is the key to everything. In the books I have looked at, chakra and ninja from the very beginning had to learn to do different things. There had even been a story where a man sat beneath a waterfall to learn water jutsu when no such idea as controlling water existed." The academy student scrunched up his eyes at that, confused at the man in the story._

" _That makes no sense, why try it if he had no idea it worked like that?"_

 _Rayleigh's eyes crinkled, an emotion there Naruto couldn't place._

" _Excellent Naruto. You understand the problem. Have you ever dipped your foot in fire hoping it would eventually become immune to the heat? Of course not, because feet do not work that way. But chakra… chakra does. That man in fact succeeded. And it shows us that chakra can learn, evolve. To be more specific, a part of chakra, the spiritual energy, gives it this ability. As a power, it is almost alien-like," Rayleigh paused there, rubbing his chin in thought._

" _Um, gramps? How'd you find out about all this if you don't use chakra?" Naruto's question was met with a wave of the hand._

" _This is not my discovery. I assume most ninja know about this nature of chakra if they read their own books."_

 _Naruto closed his eyes, still reaching for a problem, an issue before he can give into the bubbling of hope in him._

" _But wouldn't anything I learn with my… spiritual energy still need chakra?" Rayleigh peered at Naruto, an expression of surprise appearing on the old man's face._

" _You're smarter than I first believed Naruto. Normally, yes. For jutsu you need chakra and tenketsu to shape the technique. But Haki is at its core, will. You do not need chakra to shape it, only your intent. We need your spiritual energy to learn or awaken Haki, giving you access to it," Rayleigh's thoughts on his intelligence irked Naruto but the sense in words finally swayed him. A grin fought its way to his lips.  
_

" _Then all I need is to get my spiritual energy to learn Haki! How do I do that?"_

 _A nervous chuckle escaped from the silver haired Rayleigh, his hand rubbing the back of his head._

" _I don't know."_

 _Naruto nearly fell down at the sudden change in his sensei's confidence._

" _What the hell gramps! What do I do now. You said it, I can't be Hokage like this," growled a frustrated Naruto. Rayleigh paused, before putting on his cloak, seemingly ignoring Naruto. Admonished, Naruto looked down and clenched his fists._

 _A minute passed before the boy felt a hand on his head. Rayleigh smiled as he sat down with Naruto. It had grown dark and the stars were becoming visible._

" _We don't have a waterfall of Haki you could sit under, unfortunately. But I think we will figure it out. The important thing now is to continue what you've been doing," Naruto twitched at those words before gasping._

" _The reading my opponent thing and tensing my body! It's like you're preparing me for Haki!" The excited murmur did not go unnoticed as Rayleigh nodded._

" _Perhaps with time, these things will help you learn Haki. Maybe even result in you awakening Haki," Rayleigh muttered the last words to himself. Naruto slowly smiled at that, happy all of it wasn't a waste._

 _Some time had passed in silence as both stared up at the sky._

 _..._

" _Would you like to hear a story, Naruto?"_

 _Twitching, the ninja in training peered to the side at Rayleigh before nodding once._

 _Rayleigh opened his mouth a few times, but nothing came out, apparently unsure of how to start. Naruto turned fully towards him and waited._

 _The words, when they came, were slow and filled with a tremendous nostalgia. The kind that comes in time as a person stops to think about change. About life and love, and an understanding that nothing will be as it was._

 _A story of treacherous seas and beautiful mermaids. A kingdom in need of a hero. And a young man who sought freedom in the middle of it._

 _Naruto sat enraptured, gasping and laughing in all the right places. He watched Rayleigh transform as the black haired captain, Roger, wove his way through his journey. The creases in his old face becoming smaller as a smile covered his face, his wide smile fitting the lines that had been there like pieces to a puzzle. He almost looked younger now._

 _The ending came perfectly. Roger saving the island and setting sail on to the next adventure. A cliffhanger, but not a bittersweet one._

" _That sounds like the life. Adventure and fun everywhere you go. I wish… things were like that," the younger of the two stood up, picking up his stick and holding in a yawn._

" _Well, I guess I gotta get going. I'm dead tired!" Naruto waved at his sensei before sprinting away, his mind racing with thoughts of the sparkling sea and pirates._

 _Rayleigh watched as Naruto left, sighing wistfully before slowly making his own way home._

Naruto's thoughts were interrupted as the last fight was called, Saito limping his way out of the circle as Naomi cheered. The rest of the day passed quickly, ninjutsu practice leaving him with time to practice on his own. Sasuke didn't bother him for that time, but he swore that someone was watching him. Hinata and him talked a bit, but the painfully shy girl was a difficult conversation partner. It seemed that the talk earlier was the limit to her conversations for the day.

No sooner did the final school bell ring did he amble his way outside. The soreness that he had kept to the wayside with adrenaline following the rush of a battle had gradually pierced his mind. Lactic acid and blue bruises forced him to bite his tongue as he trudged his way to where Rayleigh would be meeting him. In his haste, he missed Hinata worriedly looking in his direction.

…

Rayleigh looked down on him, one eyebrow raised.

"Yeah, yeah. I know I look pretty bad, but I'm still ready for training!" Naruto's voice was firm. A smile was fighting to form as he spoke.

The silver haired man narrowed his eyes before sighing.

Rubbing his chin, he murmured, "I can see that. I assume this was a school sparring session?"

Naruto nodded quickly.

"Well then, how did you do?" Rayleigh asked, seriousness in his tone.

Nervous all of a sudden, Naruto hesitantly laughed. "I lost, but I didn't do bad! For a guy like me, everyone was seriously impressed…"

The boy sighed happily as he remembered everyone's reactions.

Rayleigh laughed loudly, "I've never seen a person so happy at losing. But, I do understand. I was thinking of working on your swordsmanship today. Blindfolded of course."

A groan escaped Naruto as he instinctively flinched at what was to come.

"Eh, sensei, so you didn't find anything yet about learning Haki?"

Rayleigh paused before frowning. A quick shake of his head left the ninja in training pouting.

"It's a difficult thing. I had thought I could use my own Haki on you enough times for you to learn it, but it seems that unless you truly understand the power behind it… well, we do not have the time to waste on that path," muttered the suddenly pensive teacher.

Again, the man shook his head.

"No, Naruto. I believe you should continue as is until your spiritual energy adapts, giving your will the power to effect change. In theory your energy should recognize your intentions to learn Haki, and when faced with a big enough challenge, it should open a path for you to express that power," the steady lecture was interrupted as Naruto groaned in frustration.

"Rayleigh-sensei… I have no idea what you just said! Let's just train."

Narrowing his eyes the older man blurred forward in front of his charge. He took a blindfold and wrapped the dark cloth around the wide eyes of a shocked Naruto.

"I could not have said it better myself. Prepare your weapon," Rayleigh smiled as Naruto quickly patted the ground, finding his stick haphazardly.

In a show of reaction speed, the boy spun furiously as he grasped the stick, barely blocking the flat of Rayleigh's blade as it swung slowly through the air. In fear, the orange wearing student pulled back before the stick could snap, mentally begging for it to stay sturdy.

Rayleigh laughed as he blurred behind the boy, alerting him to jump forward into a clumsy roll.

"Good, good. Sharpen your senses, young Naruto!"

…

Exhausted, Naruto fell face forward onto his mattress. Every muscle in his body groaned following such a workout with Rayleigh, and on top of that, his spar with the strongest in class, Sasuke, still left him reaching for the bruises on his ribs.

But a smile came to his face, feeling a rush of excitement in his growth.

* * *

"Hokage-sama, Gatou has been eliminated. Access for our researchers is now unfettered," the monotone Anbu voice pulled Hiruzen from his thoughts. Nodding, the Third waved his hand for Danzo to continue, also silently ordering the Anbu away. A flicker later and the bandaged elder narrowed his eyes before responding tersely.

"... Well, you have been occupied. Our puppet government in the Land of Waves, however, may lead to the newly unified Mist allying with Rock. I had thought we would merely work with the man, Gatou."

The Hokage stamped a form before leafing through a notebook with several charts. Pausing at one, he clicked his tongue before replying calmly.

"Mist and Rock have already been in talks and would have been allied by the end of the month. Unfortunately, your Root has failed to contain news of Naruto's lack of chakra and even my recent battle loss against an unknown. These signs of weakness have empowered Rock to seek alliances brazenly across the continent. They plan to enclose us from both ends," Danzo frowned at the insult towards his ninja, but ignored the slight as the Hokage continued.

"Now is the time for brazen acts of power. Our abrupt control of the Land of Waves will necessitate a wait and see approach from the Mist. As for Gatou, he was a liability. Men like that would sell any secrets we learn from where Rayleigh has come from."

"So you found something then?"

The Hokage stamped another form as he nodded.

"Evidence of space-time manipulation was apparent. Researchers have likened it to the effects that appeared when Minato used Hiraishin consecutively. This means Rayleigh is not a liar," mused Hiruzen.

Danzo's eye widened and he flinched back. A new world would shake even the most stoic of men. In a low voice he growled.

"Only one aspect of his story was proven true. He is still as dangerous and unknown as he was yesterday. Yet, this discovery opens up the possibility for… significant things. Can your researchers open a way to this Rayleigh's world using the found evidence?"

The Third paused in thought before shrugging. His voice was slightly obscured by the sound of filing paperwork, "It gives us important data that could eventually lead to such a thing. But it is too early to tell."

Danzo nodded hurriedly and then disappeared in a flicker. Hiruzen chuckled. It wasn't everyday that his old teammate was excited enough to rush out of a building.

Minutes later, Hiruzen bit into his thumb and wiped a trail of blood across the underside of his desk. A blinding white light exploded and an orb appeared in front of him. A jutsu seal revealed the image of Rayleigh atop the orb's surface. The man was entering his newly furnished apartment and did not acknowledge the Hokage's now watching eyes.

"Now Rayleigh-san, let's see what else you know."

* * *

 _1 Year Later_

Rayleigh paused as he looked back at the enormous Leaf village gates. He did not think the year would have passed by so quickly but even his old age and experience led him astray on that front. Sooner than he would have liked, Naruto had become a ninja and the limit he himself placed on the amount of time he'd remain idle was reached.

He could not stay any longer. His student was passed down as much as he could learn in such a short amount of time. As for the rest... the boy would have to approach on his own.

Surely he had given him the courage and skill to do so. But as his eyes trailed the bustling crowds of people within the village, the ninja jumping from roof to roof, and the peak of the stone monuments to the Hokage, he could not help but narrow his eyes.

Naruto would have to be more than physically powerful. He would need to weather the political forces that sought to take advantage of him. Indeed, he had barely buffeted Naruto during his time in the Leaf village from forces that sought not only to take advantage of the Jinchuriki without a Bijuu, but also forces that specifically sought to disadvantage the boy.

Yet the newly graduated ninja was perceptive, as he could attest after training him for more than a year. He would rise to the challenges.

'It feels as if I have begun thinking that more and more. Am I merely trying to convince myself?'

Sighing, Rayleigh turned away and walked on. It was time for him to look for a way back. Home. Shakky. The seas where his old friends sailed and died.

His first step was the Land of Snow. A technological oasis that supposedly had scientists who could help him. A place he hoped lived up to the challenge.

* * *

Bleary eyes opened to a dimly lit room. Naruto yawned as he stretched his arms and back, sending cracks down his spine.

Slowly, he made his way off his bed, casually leaving out a bowl of cereal and milk. Washing his face and brushing his teeth, he lazily pushed himself into the shower. The drips of coldish water flowing down his body were ignored as he yawned loudly again.

It did not take him long to get dressed and ready in front of his bowl. Today was a big day and he needed everything to be perfect. His new cloak was laid out across the back of his kitchen table chair.

The light silver cloth was a larger set with a hood attached to it, the inside being a dark orange color. He had feared it would keep him too warm in Fire Country weather but the linen and cotton cloth was breathable enough for him. Fortunately, it came with a series of leather bands on the back of the cloak. The purpose, he had learned, was to attach a sword scabbard or the pommel directly to it.

Specifically, the one for the straight sword in the black scabbard leaning against the cabinets in his kitchen. The entire sword was only a foot shorter than him; an oddity among ninja for its extreme size. Its pommel was gold, a gray guard extending above it to protect his hands. He had considered that it would take too much effort to keep it at arm's reach at all times, but his sensei explained that as long as he kept the inside of the cloak secured to himself, the scabbard outside should not affect his movement.

His sensei…

Rayleigh had given both the cloak and sword to him as a present, he assumed, for his hard work. But when it was finally revealed that his sensei had to leave for reasons beyond what Naruto could understand, well, after many days of anger and frustration he knew that the gifts were goodbye ones.

'He looked worried when I asked him if he would eventually come back,' the ninja in training grimly thought.

Chewing slowly on his cereal he rested his chin on his palm as he thought about the reasons that Rayleigh gave. An attempt to find something? Something about his home? Scientists?

It confused Naruto enough that he spent several days asking the man about it. This had eventually escalated to a tension between student and master when Rayleigh finally revealed his status as the failed Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi, though in more careful words. At that point he had understood. Why parents warned their kids away from him, why whispers followed him like a bad omen, and why exactly he lost his most useful tool as a ninja. It had made him furious, enough for him to yell at Rayleigh several times despite his sensei having nothing to do with his predicament.

But the bitterness, he realized now, was idiotic. It had taken time that they could have used to talk or train. He grit his teeth as his face scrunched up.

'Damn it all! I should have at least seen him off this morning! But he's long gone now…' Regret soured his features at his childish behavior. He never did like goodbyes. Especially ones that made little sense.

Even the graduation today wouldn't help. It had been two weeks since he passed the exam specifically designed by the Hokage for him. The questions were surprisingly easy, but it had been the physical that nearly failed him. He had had to run a mile in 3 minutes, balance himself as he jumped rapidly across tree branches for miles at a time, and he had to defend himself properly against a Chunnin's attacks for two minutes.

The first two were tricky but had nothing on Rayleigh's conditioning exercises. But Mizuki's attacks were not held back as he attempted to decapitate him multiple times. He half expected the Hokage to stop the ninja, but it was only his honed senses that allowed him to live, let alone pass. Luckily, his sword mastery had reached a point where he could defend competently enough, giving him enough space and effectively saving precious milliseconds for him to read and interpret his opponent's next moves.

'But I bet nobody still thinks I deserve to be a ninja. Except maybe Hinata,' thought a pessimistic Naruto.

Sighing out loud, the ninja put on his new cloak and placed the scabbard and sword through the leather bands, the weight of the sword tugging his cloak back slightly but not uncomfortably. The Leaf forehead protector was still on the table. He looked down for a few seconds before taking it and tightening it across his forehead.

It was early but he couldn't wait around anymore. Dashing out his door, he slammed it shut and ignored the sudden shout from the landlord's door. A grin stretched across his face, happy for the first time this morning.

"You damn brat!"

"That's ninja to you, civilian!" Naruto laughed as he tore his way down and towards the academy.

* * *

Author's Note:

This chapter was an annoying one but it needed to be done for the story to transition normally. However, we've learned a few important things. Rayleigh's presence and Naruto's problems have forced an alliance between Mist and Rock. The Hokage may have access to the One Piece world. And Rayleigh is going to Snow where he may or may not find interesting things.

Rayleigh's training will be referenced in flashbacks throughout the story, very similar to how Luffy remembers Rayleigh's training in One Piece. Next chapter should have a much faster pace through Naruto passing the bell test, doing his first major mission, and really learning how disadvantaged he is compared to others.


End file.
